Skip to content

Pro-EU barrister wants Wales to break away from English legal system

Avatar photo

By Alex Aldridge on

A Wexit?

wales

A Cardiff-based barrister has gone public with his desire for Wales to get its own legal system.

But 30 Park Place’s David Hughes is not advocating a Welsh exit from the EU, rather a Taffy divorce from England seemingly within the context of a federal Europe.

And to those who argue that Wales is too small for such a move, Hughes has this to say:

We need to get rid of the idea that Wales would be a particularly small place to have its own jurisdiction. We’d be bigger than Northern Ireland, we’d be bigger than about 20 of the American states. We’d be bigger in population terms than Western Australia and Tasmania. All these places run perfectly good legal systems. We can do it.

Speaking to Wales Online, Hughes went on to justify his arguments on a constitutional level, arguing that devolution via the forthcoming Wales Bill would see “the general law-making power reside in Wales” and therefore make it logical for the country to have an independent legal system.

The civil, public and employment law specialist — who is prolific on Twitter and Instagram — also claimed that a Welsh legal system could be made cheaper than its English counterpart by cutting court fees.

Hughes added that a “country with its own legal system is simply a more attractive place to do business, because you know if something goes wrong someone can do something about it.”

Brexit or Bremain? Take the Legal Cheek poll.

Related Stories

Which chambers pay their pupil barristers the most?

Awards of up to £100k!

Oct 21 2026 7:58am
Barrister's wig and gown

Less than half of UK bar students secure pupillage, new figures reveal

Success rates vary widely across providers

Oct 19 2026 7:36am
7

Barrister or solicitor? How to choose the right path for you

Future trainee and pupil talk it out

Oct 16 2026 9:46am