David Gardner, 34, is an Administrative Court Office Lawyer for Wales from Cardiff
To mark three decades of the IWA’s role in making Wales better, we decided to look forward to ‘the next thirty years’ by introducing some of the people who will be shaping ‘the Welsh agenda’ as the future unfolds. We have teamed up with PricewaterhouseCoopers and their #GreatWales campaign, which celebrates the ideas and people who contribute to the Wales of the future.
David Gardner, 34, is an Administrative Court Office Lawyer for Wales
from Cardiff
I was called to the bar by the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in 2006 and cross-qualified as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts in 2011; facilitating and assisting the public in exercising their public law rights and democratic safeguards is both a fascinating and enjoyable endeavour.
From a young age it was impressed upon me by my parents that no matter what you are doing, no matter what those around you are doing, you should always strive to do it to the best of your ability. I am currently applying for part time judicial roles, so I hope that in the future you may see me on the bench in Wales.
If Wales wishes to take up ‘the challenge’ and a separate legal jurisdiction for Wales is to be a reality within ten years, the Government, the legal profession, and the universities in Wales must act now. The public authorities must show that they are capable of setting up and maintaining an infrastructure, the legal profession must show that it has the capability and breadth of experience to conduct legal proceedings, and the universities must show that they can train suitable lawyers for the future. In those circumstances I hope to be at the forefront of a brave new world for the constitutional and administrative law of Wales.
Each day, throughout the month of June, we are celebrating the exceptional people on the Next 30 list by publishing a short pen portrait here on Click on Wales, as well as raising their profile on Twitter using #IWAnext30 and #GreatWales to highlight the exciting contributions these people are making to Wales’ future.
