The Chairman of the Bar has mounted a staunch defence of judicial independence and the rule of law, following attacks on judges in newspapers and on social media.
The Supreme Court will sit next month to hear the appeal of the Art 50 case, on whether Parliament must be consulted before the UK can begin the process of leaving the EU. A front-page headline in The Daily Mail branded the three judges hearing the case “Enemies of the People”. Death threats and abuse have been levelled against one of the claimants, Gina Miller.
Writing in NLJ this week, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, Chairman of the Bar, says: “We take for granted at our peril the relative stability and adherence to the rule of law in our society.
“If society does not value and respect the justice system, including the judges and their judgments, much of the benefit of an independent, transparent justice system is lost. Having seen countries where people are fighting to establish a viable justice system, we cannot afford not to stand up for ours.”
Doerries also disputes suggestions that the Bar Council was asking the Lord Chancellor to attack the freedom of the press when it asked her to speak out about tone and nature of the comments. She points out that there is a difference between disagreeing with what someone says and preventing them saying it.
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