Quote of the day 20th February 2025

“This is a very ill-advised intervention by the Lady Chief Justice.

There was nothing in the least constitutionally improper in the recent exchange between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Parliamentarians, including Ministers, are free to disagree with judgments and to say as much.

Neither judicial independence nor the rule of law entitle judges to be free from criticism and the Lady Chief Justice is wrong to attempt to suppress criticism.”


Richard Ekins KC, Head of the Judicial Power Project at Policy Exchange, responds to an attack on both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition by the Lady Chief Justice.


Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr says she was “deeply troubled to learn of the exchanges” between Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch at Prime Ministers' Questions about an asylum case.

I am deeply troubled by some of the language used by the Lady Chief Justice, specifically her statement that "Both question and the answer were unacceptable."  

In my humble opinion both judges and politicians should do what they think is right and should be allowed to disagree with decisions of the other - and I do not think it is a good idea for either to attempt to silence the other or tell them that disagreement is unacceptable.


See report on the Guido Fawkes "Order Order" blog at

England's Top Judge Attacks PM for Saying Gaza Family Settlement Ruling Was Wrong – Guido Fawkes

An an opinion piece in the Express on the subject which makes some powerful points at

Keir Starmer under fire from top judge who proves what's wrong with UK | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

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