The Law Society-commissioned research was carried out this month prior to this week’s House of Commons debate on the Illegal Migration Bill. Lawyers, including the Bar Council chair, Nick Vineall KC, have warned that the Bill could undermine the rule of law.
One of the Bill’s controversial proposals is that ministers be allowed to ignore interim injunctions (Rule 39 orders) from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Law Society president Lubna Shuja said refusing to comply with a Strasbourg ruling ‘would entail a clear and serious breach of international law’.
Former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme last week, said ‘having the power to ignore a court order is something that, unless the circumstances were quite extraordinary, is a step a government should never take. It is symbolic of a breach of the rule of law’.
