The rule of law

There was no surprise for readers of The Telegraph in leaked plans by David Cameron to make legislation against the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights the “centerpiece” of the next election manifesto. On 2 February this year, they read a piece from the paper’s political correspondent to almost the same effect, save that the plan was to make it the cornerstone of the European election plan. There was one variant—originally the Supreme Court was to be the boss; now it seems Parliament (effectively the government of the day) is to have that honour.

The plan emanated from a Tory party committee chaired by the now departed Home Office minister Damian Green and containing Michael Howard and young Turks like the ambitious Dominic Raab. Behind the scenes, the issue has been pushed by the Tories’ favourite think tank, Policy Exchange, for some time. Michael Pinto-Duschinsky was their point man. In 2011 Policy