This part looks at how people access justice in Wales, as well as the general make-up and regulation of the legal profession.
I’ll be looking at the judiciary and the court system in a later piece, so in this case “legal professional” means those who “practise law”, whether this is through representing and advising clients, providing specialist support services or routine high street legal work like conveyancing and will writing.
In addition to the list above, though not strictly falling under the same definition of “legal professional”, there are:
- Legislators (MSs and MPs etc.) who make laws (Part IVb) – so it’s no surprise that a sizable number of politicians have done legal work in some capacity.
- Public prosecutors (the Crown Prosecution Service/CPS in England and Wales) decide whether there’s enough evidence for the police to charge a criminal (Part IX) and present that evidence at trial on behalf of the state (where applicable), though they’re usually recruited as experienced solicitors or barristers.
- The judiciary includes judges (and associated professionals like coroners) who apply and interpret the law (Part XI) – again, most judges in England and Wales (with the exception of magistrates) are recruited as solicitors or barristers.
- Legal experts – usually called jurists – teach law as an academic subject but may not have always practised law.
