The lack of an easily searchable electronic database of Welsh legislation is making it hard for solicitors with clients in Wales to know the law, former Law Society president Carolyn Kirby said last week.

Ms Kirby, speaking at the fifth anniversary of the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (Bailii), said some Welsh legislation consists of nothing more than a piece of paper in an official's desk.


She said the current database did not contain all relevant law and could only be searched for under legislation title, rather than content.


Ms Kirby said: 'A database of Welsh law still does not exist in a searchable form. Even the chief librarian of the Welsh Assembly has said finding the legislation can feel more like detective work than being a librarian.'


She added that the problems were mostly due to the fact that the Welsh legislature is so new.