header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
03 August 2020 / Amanda Robinson , David Wolchover
Categories: Features , Constitutional law , Profession
printer mail-detail

Judicial review: under review

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
Is the current government a threat to the independence of the judiciary? Amanda Robinson & David Wolchover review the evidence

On 14 February 2020, Amanda Pinto QC, Chair of the Bar Council, highlighted concerns about the Prime Minister’s proposals for a constitutional commission to examine the role of judicial review challenges and whether judges were trespassing on political territory. Five months on, the Prime Minister’s proposal is now reality with the government announcing last Friday that an independent panel, chaired by Lord Edward Faulks QC, will consider whether the right balance is being struck between the rights of citizens to challenge executive decisions and the need for effective and efficient government. It is our contention that the threat or potential threat to the judiciary is far greater, if the government’s words and actions are taken at face value.

Boris  Johnson: a potted history

The Prime Minister is no stranger to challenges over his apparent indifference to testimonial exactitude, to deploy a euphemism coined by the historical colossus he so

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Divorce ‘nuclear weapon’ freezes assets but entangles outsiders
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
NLJ this week: What counts as ‘rent’? Court says labour alone won’t do
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
NLJ this week: Freed but failed—justice system leaves the innocent empty-handed
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
NLJ this week: Clarity on whistleblowing, settlements and tribunal limits
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
NLJ this week: Family law urged to ditch adversarial instincts
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll