header-logo header-logo

27 September 2019 / Michael Zander KC
Categories: Features , Brexit , Constitutional law , Media
printer mail-detail

The state we are in

Michael Zander QC on what the press said about the judges after the Supreme Court’s prorogation decision

One remembers the disgraceful Daily Mail front-page ‘Enemies of the People’ article in November 2016 that greeted the Divisional Court’s decision in the first great case brought by Gina Miller (R (on the application of Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2017] UKSC 5, [2017] All ER (D) 70 (Jan)). The three ‘out of touch judges’—the Lord Chief Justice, the Master of the Rolls and Lord Justice Sales—were said to have ‘declared war on democracy’ for deciding that Parliament’s consent was required for triggering Art 50.

It seemed worth looking at the attitude of the press to the judges on the morning after the 11-0 decision that the prorogation of Parliament was unlawful (R (on the application of Miller) v The Prime Minister; Cherry and ors v Advocate General for Scotland [2019] UKSC 41, [2019] All ER (D) 61 (Sep).

The Daily Mail led

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

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Commercial law firm announces appointment of corporate partner

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joinscorporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert

NEWS
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 
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
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
The winners of the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026 have now been announced, marking another outstanding celebration of excellence, innovation, and impact across the legal profession
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’
back-to-top-scroll