On 20 November, the COVID-19 Inquiry, chaired by Baroness Hallett, published its second report on ‘core decision-making and political governance’ (Module 2). The report set out nineteen recommendations and drew a number of stark … [Read more...] about Trust Lost, Lessons Learned: Outcomes of the COVID-19 Inquiry
David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, recently proposed changes to the criminal justice system to reduce the use of juries in criminal trials. The proposals have elicited strong condemnation from a range of different parties. They seem to … [Read more...] about The End of Trial by Jury in the United Kingdom?
Introduction Speaking at a recent literary festival, the former President of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale, expressed regret over the way in which her spider brooch had been sensationalised following Miller 2.[i] The case … [Read more...] about Courts, Power, and the Limits of the Executive
On the 14th October, Attorney General Lord Hermer KC gave his 2024 Bingham Lecture “The Rule of Law in an Age of Populism”. In it, Lord Hermer advocated for the “restoration and resilience” of the rule of law, to operate as a bulwark against … [Read more...] about On the Attorney General’s 2024 Bingham Lecture
Introduction The trial of British citizen Jimmy Lai was criticised by the last Government, and by the international community, as a politically motivated show trial. Former Foreign Secretary David Cameron called for the prosecution of Lai to … [Read more...] about Jimmy Lai: Citizens’ Rights in a Hong Kong Trial
In 1912, the shipyard of Harland and Wolff in East Belfast produced a ship that was state of the art, a marvel of engineering, “designed to be unsinkable”. As it traversed the iceberg-laden waters of the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage at high … [Read more...] about The Titanic Struggle over the Illegal Migration Act
On 17 January, the Cabinet Secretary to the Home Office sent a letter outlining the future direction of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill (‘the Bill’). In it, he confirmed that the proposed Guidance (‘the Guidance’) to be … [Read more...] about Expanding Ministerial Discretion by Eroding Human Rights: the Government’s Draft Guidance on Rule 39 Injunctions
Introduction In late 2023, the UK Supreme Court (UKSC) handed down their judgment in the case of R (SAA) v Secretary of State for the Home Department. In a unanimous judgment, the UKSC held that the Home Secretary’s policy that certain people … [Read more...] about The Rwanda bill: A constitutional tipping point?
Five years ago, when I was working full-time at the Constitution Society, we received an unusual missive in the post. A man had written to us explaining that as the UK government had failed to uphold the rights established by the Magna Carta, it had … [Read more...] about The rise of constitutional conspiracism
The Constitution Society is delighted to announce the publication of Climate change, the courts and the constitution. In his comprehensive report, Joshua Kimblin surveys how the legal mechanisms of environmental and climate accountability have … [Read more...] about Published: Climate change, the courts and the constitution
The United Kingdom has a new Prime Minister and a new cabinet. This summer’s slow-moving political change played out against a background of even slower movement on climate change. It was the joint hottest summer on record. If further symbolism … [Read more...] about New Prime Minister, new climate, same constitution
Last Monday on BBC One, Panorama broadcast allegations that a Special Air Service (SAS) squadron operating in Afghanistan repeatedly killed detainees and unarmed men in suspicious circumstances from November 2010 to April 2011.[1] The grave … [Read more...] about Conflict and the constitution
