Lord Judge delivered a lecture on the topic of ‘Constitutional Change: Unfinished Business’.
This is the closing lecture for the AHRC project on The Politics of Judicial Independence in Britain’s Changing Constitution. As Lord Chief Justice until the end of September this year, Lord Judge presided over the judiciary during a “constitutional revolution” (his own term) and a period of budgetary austerity.
During his tenure the judiciary doubled in size by incorporating the tribunals system and embarked on a new relationship of negotiations with Government on the future direction of the justice system. At the same time the Human Rights Act and the European Convention became more politically controversial. From his unique vantage point, Lord Judge will describe the challenges now facing the British constitution.
Links
- Transcript of Lord Judge’s lecture
- The ‘Politics of Judicial Independence’ project is funded by the AHRC.
Media
- The Guardian: European court is not superior to UK supreme court, says Lord Judge
- The Times: Former chief judge supports right to defy ECHR on jail votes
- The Huffington Post: Lord Judge ‘Astounded’ By Theresa May’s Comments On Human Rights
- The Telegraph: Strasbourg not superior to British courts’ says former senior judge
- The Independent: “Thomas Jefferson would have strongly advised us against it”
- Daily Mail: Top judge demands sweeping reforms to Human Rights Act and says UK courts should not have to bow to Europe
- The Week: Lord Judge: Strasbourg doesn’t trump the UK Supreme Court
- BBC Radio 4’s today programme: The former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, says the human rights act should be changed to make it clear that British courts do not have to follow the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. Nick Herbert, former police minister, and Hugh Tomlinson QC, a member of the Matrix Chambers, discuss.
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