Under the 1998 and 2006 Acts, the Welsh Assembly was empowered to pass legislation subject to confirmation by the English Parliament Secretary of State. The Local Government Byelaws (Wales) Bill 2012 was passed by the Assembly and purported to remove the requirement for confirmation and to add to the list of legislation which might be brought in without confirmation. The latter power was now challenged.
Held: The Bill was valid; the Assembly had the legislative competence to enact sections 6 and 9 of the Bill. The primary purpose of the Bill could not be achieved without the powers. The removal of the confirmatory powers for the scheduled enactments would be only incidental to, and consequential on, the primary purpose of removing the need for confirmation by the Welsh Ministers of any byelaw made under the scheduled enactments. The powers were to be exercised by either the English or Welshminister Secretaries of State, and alone if need be at any time.
Lord Neuberger, President, Lord Hope, Deputy President, Lord Clarke, Lord Reed, Lord Carnwath
[2012] UKSC 53, [2012] WLR(D) 341, [2012] 3 WLR 1294, UKSC 2012/0185, [2013] 1 AC 792, [2013] 1 All ER 1013
Bailii, Bailii Summary, SC Summary, SC, WLRD
Government of Wales Act 2006 112, Government of Wales Act 1998, Local Government Act 1972, The National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999, Supreme Court Rules 2009 41
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – Martin v Her Majesty’s Advocate SC 3-Mar-2010
The claimant challenged the law extending the power of Sheriffs sitting alone to impose sentences of up to one year.
Held: The defendants’ appeal failed (Lord Rodger and Lord Kerr dissenting). The change was within the power of the Scottish . .
Cited – A v The Scottish Ministers PC 15-Oct-2001
(Scotland) The power to detain a person suffering from a mental illness, in order to ensure the safety of the public, and even though there was no real possibility of treatment of the mental condition in hospital, was not a disproportionate . .
Cited – Adams and Others v Lord Advocate IHCS 31-Jul-2002
(Opinion) The applicants challenged the introduction of restrictions of hunting by foxes, arguing that the law would infringe their human rights.
Held: The Act was not infringing. Fox hunting as such was not a private activity protected by the . .
Cited – AXA General Insurance Ltd and Others v Lord Advocate and Others SC 12-Oct-2011
Standing to Claim under A1P1 ECHR
The appellants had written employers’ liability insurance policies. They appealed against rejection of their challenge to the 2009 Act which provided that asymptomatic pleural plaques, pleural thickening and asbestosis should constitute actionable . .
Cited by:
Cited – References (Bills) By The Attorney General and The Advocate General for Scotland – United Nations Convention On The Rights of The Child and European Charter of Local Self-Government SC 6-Oct-2021
Scots Bills were Outwith Parliament’s Competence
The AG questioned the constitutionaliity of Bills designed to give effect to two treaties to which the UK is a signatory, and passed by the Scottish Parliament as to the care of children.
Held: The laws had effect also outside Scotland . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Constitutional, Local Government, Wales
Leading Case
Updated: 02 November 2021; Ref: scu.465936