Justice book highlighted in Westminster debate

The central premise of a new book from academics at Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre formed the backdrop to a Westminster Hall debate by MPs last week.

The Welsh Criminal Justice System: On the Jagged Edge, by Robert Jones and Richard Wyn Jones, played a central role in the debate held by Liz Saville-Roberts MP advocating the devolution of justice for Wales.

MPs heard that the concept of a jagged edge between devolved and reserved responsibilities in Westminster and Cardiff leads directly to the undermining of proper scrutiny of the functioning of the Welsh justice system, and of coherent policymaking in housing, health and social services.

While the “groundbreaking” book was praised for its “rigorous and thoughtful analysis”, the role of Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre in collating and releasing disaggregated data on imprisonment rates in Wales was applauded.

The Welsh Government Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt, also acknowledged the book in a statement at the Senedd Cymru last week, claiming that it “will provide a useful contribution as we seek to progress this shared vision” on women and youth justice.