Independence for Wales: a change from informed consent to presumed consent.

Abstract

Wales lost its legal independence in 1536 when the Act of Union with England was enacted in London. We have continued to resent the situation and when opportunities offer themselves our national desires emerge. Welsh Nationalist members have been elected from Wales to the British Parliament and continue to remind our English neighbours that we are different. Wales was the language of Court Princes, almost a 1,000 years before the time of Chaucer the father of English literature. It continues to be a living language ever since the Romans left these shores about the middle of the fourth Century. Then the old Brythonic language become truly Welsh and can be identified with the Cymraeg spoken today. This independence manifests itself in many ways and although many have lost the language they continue to be fiercely Welsh when called upon—as anyone who has been present when Wales plays England at rugby in Cardiff or Twickenham will testify!! The strongest expression of this growing independence came in 1997 when Wales voted for devolution from England. Now there is a functioning Senedd (Senate) in Cardiff where laws specific to Wales can be identified and enacted as, for example, in the conduct of Finance, Education, the Welsh Language, Agriculture etc. Now perhaps the most unique result of this independence is the passing, with the blessing of the Queen and the approval of the United Kingdom Parliament of the Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill. This Act became law in Wales in 2013. Human tissue donation throughout the United Kingdom has hitherto followed the Informed Consent principle and will continue to be so in those parts of the United Kingdom outside Wales. But the historic step has been taken now to change this in Wales where the principle of Presumed Consent will be the law. It is a historic change which once again emphasises the strength of independence in Wales. Thus as the Health Minster guiding the legislation declared ‘‘Tuesday July 2nd was a landmark day for Wales, and I expect the rest of the UK will watch with great interest when the legislation is implemented in 2015’’. He added in a published statement ‘‘The people of Wales should be proud that we are the first nation in the UK to take this step’’.