Introduction

Elfyn practices in public and private Family law including Ancillary Relief proceedings. He also handles personal injury claims. A fluent Welsh speaker, he is greatly experienced in undertaking litigation and advocacy through the medium of Welsh.

Career History

Elfyn Llwyd was called to the Bar in 1997 having practiced as a solicitor since 1977 where he specialised in family law and criminal law undertaking extensive advocacy in Magistrates Courts, County Courts, Crown Courts and other Tribunals. He was a partner at Guthrie Jones and Jones, Solicitors in Dolgellau and Bala from 1978 to 1996 and President of the Gwynedd Law Society in 1990/1991.

Elfyn was elected to Parliament in 1992 for the constituency of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy and latterly Dwyfor Meirionnydd until he stood down in May 2015. He was the first to initiate a bill calling for the setting up of a Children’s Commissioner for Wales in 1993 and during his time in Parliament he amended the Family Law Act 1996 to enhance the voice and interests of children in divorce situations. In 2012 he introduced a private bill to establish in the criminal law the offence of stalking which was accepted by Government and enacted. Similarly, his bill to criminalise coercive control within domestic violence was introduced by him in February 2015 and was accepted by Government and became law in January 2016. He chaired the All Party Justice Unions Group and the All Party Family Court Unions Group as well as serving as vice chair of one of the most powerful Select Committees of the House of Commons namely, the Justice Select Committee in which role he chaired public and private sessions of the Committee and represented the Committee and Parliament in International Justice conferences. From 2011-2015 he was a Parliamentary Advisor to the Police Federation.

He was elevated to the Privy Council in 2011. During his time in Parliament he won National political awards – Campaigner of the Year 2010, Welsh MP of the year 2014 and short- listed for Channel 4 ‘s Opposition Politician of the Year.

He is a Member of the Gorsedd of Bards and a member of the Council of his alma mater Aberystwyth University.