Roger Smith on a series of celebrations all round
Melanie Phillips of the Daily Mail and shadow Minister of Justice Dominic Grieve MP on the blog, ConservativeHome, were quick to support Lord Hoffmann’s recent attack on the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Mr Grieve swooned that he was “delighted”. The speech also pleased Ms Phillips, though she was a little more demanding. She gave Lord Hoffmann only “two hurrahs”. For the full three, the Daily Mail columnist explained that Lord Hoff mann would have had to combine his tirade against the ECtHR with something similar against the European Union. Ms Phillips sees both as integrally linked and equally objectionable.
Lord Hoff mann was probably delighted to have propelled himself to the centre of controversy. His history suggests he rather relishes such a role. After all, his was the one judgment among the otherwise sombre opinions of his colleagues in the Belmarsh decision of the House of Lords that inclined to the racy. The others took care to avoid the addition of rhetorical flourishes
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