Welsh Government names counsel for revamped legal panels

The Welsh Government has unveiled its latest panel of counsel to provide specialist legal advocacy and advisory work.

The move has seen Clive Lewis QC, a silk at 11KBW, re-appointed to undertake the role of First Counsel to the Welsh Government

Three panels have been appointed for a four-year period from the beginning of this month. They comprise:

  • Queen’s Counsel;
  • Junior Counsel with more than 10 years' advocacy experience (Junior Counsel A); and;
  • Junior Counsel with fewer than 10 years' advocacy experience (Junior Counsel B).  

The Welsh Government has divided the panels of junior counsel into broad subject categories, “with the overall size and complexion of each panel being determined by need”.

The competition for the panels – which was open to barristers in private practice and solicitors with the appropriate higher court advocacy qualifications – attracted 67 firm applications.

The Welsh Government’s Counsel General, Theodore Huckle QC said: “I know that the very experienced and talented counsel who have been successful in being appointed to the panel will give the Welsh Government access to an independent pool of very considerable legal expertise across the whole spectrum of government activity.

“Having this proven capability to carry out advocacy and advisory work is important in ensuring that the Welsh Government has the best legal advice available to it at all times.”

The criterion for selection included: experience of advocacy in the higher courts; experience in constitutional and administrative law; knowledge of the devolution settlement in Wales and of divergences between the law in England and in Wales; experience of working for or against the government and/or public bodies; and an appreciation of the special demands of government litigation.

THE APPOINTMENTS IN FULL

First Counsel to the Welsh Government

  • Clive Lewis QC (11 King’s Bench Walk)

Panel of Queen’s Counsel

  • Timothy Corner QC (4-5 Gray’s Inn Square)

  • Morag Ellis QC (Cornerstone Barristers, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square)

  • Richard Gordon QC (Brick Court Chambers)
  • Elisabeth Laing QC (11 King’s Bench Walk)

  • Simon Picken QC (7 King’s Bench Walk)
  • John Whitting QC (1 Crown Office Row)

  • Rhodri Williams QC (Thirty Park Place/Henderson Chambers)

Public Law Panel  

Junior Counsel A

  • Emyr Jones (9 Park Place Chambers)
  • Prof Satvinder Juss (Hare Court Chambers) also Employment Law

  • Andrew Kinnear (Henderson Chambers)

  • Cathryn McGahey (Temple Garden Chambers)
  • Jonathan Moffett (4-5 Gray’s Inn Square)

  • Ian Rogers (Monckton Chambers)

  • Graham Walters (Civitas – Civil and Public Law) also Criminal Law

Junior Counsel B

  • Mona Bayoumi (Civitas – Civil and Public Law) also Employment Law
  • Tim Buley (Landmark Chambers)
  • Joanne Clement (11 King’s Bench Walk)
  • Richard Cole (Civitas – Civil and Public Law) also Personal Injuries Law
  • Tom Cross (11 King’s Bench Walk)

  • Rhys Hadden (Fieldcourt Chambers) also Family and Children Panel

  • Louise Jones (Temple Garden Chambers) also Employment Panel

  • Gwion Lewis (Landmark Chambers)

  • Christopher McNall (18 John Street Chambers)

  • Mark Thomas (5 Essex Court Chambers) also Employment and Personal 

Injuries Panels

  • Justine Thornton (39 Essex Street Chambers)

Criminal Law Panel

Junior Counsel A

  • Lucy Crowther (Apex Chambers)
  • Tom Crowther (Apex Chambers)

  • Marian Lewis (30 Park Place)

  • Christopher Rees (Apex Chambers)
  • Jonathan Rees (Apex Chambers)

  • Anthony Vines (Civitas – Civil and Public Law) also Employment Law

  • Graham Walters (Civitas – Civil and Public Law) also Public Law Panel

Junior Counsel B



  • Justine Davidge (4 King’s Bench Walk)
  • Rebecca Griffiths (Apex Chambers)

Employment Law Panel

Junior Counsel A

  • Christopher Howells (Civitas – Civil and Public Law)

  • Prof Satvinder Juss (Hare Court Chambers) also Public Law Panel

  • Tariq Sadiq (St Phillips Chambers)

  • Anthony Vines (Civitas – Civil and Public Law) also Criminal Law Panel
  • Jonathan Walters (Civitas – Civil and Public Law)

Junior Counsel B

  • Richard Adkinson (No5 Chambers)

  • Mona Bayoumi (Civitas – Civil and Public Law) also Public Law Panel

  • Paras Gorasia  (Kings Chambers)

  • Louise Jones (Temple Garden Chambers) also Public Law Panel

  • Mark Thomas (5 Essex Court Chanbers) also Public Law and Personal & Injuries Panels

Personal Injuries Panel

Junior Counsel A

  • Andrew Arentsen (Civitas – Civil and Public Law)
  • Nicholas David Jones (Civitas – Civil and Public Law)

Junior Counsel B

  • Richard Cole (Civitas – Civil and Public Law) also Public Law Panel

  • Victoria Hillier (Civitas – Civil and Public Law)

  • Mark Thomas (5 Essex Court Chambers) also Public Law and Employment Law

Family and Children Panel

Junior Counsel B

  • Rhys Hadden (Fieldcourt Chambers) also Public Law Panel