Estimating the timeline for Brexit Legislation

Published 25/04/2017   |   Last Updated 27/05/2021   |   Reading Time minutes

Whilst the precise timeline and details for the introduction of Brexit related legislation is unknown the UK Government’s White Paper on the Great Repeal Bill makes clear that in addition to the Bill itself other pieces of primary UK legislation and a significant amount of subordinate legislation will need to be passed before the UK exits the EU. In Wales, in addition to considering Brexit-related subordinate legislation introduced by Welsh Ministers, Assembly Members and Committees are also likely to wish to scrutinise the impacts of any relevant UK primary legislation on Wales.

The negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU coincides with a period of significant constitutional change for the National Assembly for Wales with the introduction of a reserved powers model under the Wales Act 2017 and the introduction of devolved taxes for the first time. This is likely to mean a busy 24 months for the Assembly.

The infographic below seeks to plot these different pieces of legislation and constitutional change on to a timeline to provide an indication of how these different events may fit together. The timeline is an estimate based on best available public information and is certainly likely to change as the negotiations progress. Other events may need to be added and timeframes may shift. We will updated this timeline as the negotiations develop and as more information becomes available over the next 24 months.


Article by Nia Moss, National Assembly for Wales Research Service.