The Supreme Court Party

Jezza99

Did anyone here vote for the Supreme Court in the last General Election? Or in any election? Is it me, or is the tail wagging the dog here?

How is it that laws passed by our democratically elected representatives can be overturned by a bunch of unelected liberal elite judges? Surely these people are making political decisions under the guise of legal judgements, decisions which they are not entitled to make? What is the point of any government passing legislation, voted on my parliament, if a dozen out of touch, unelected judges can just strike it down if they don't like it?

Employment tribunal fees unlawful, Supreme Court rules - BBC News

rustybin

I've emailed them to ask them to reverse Brexit.

Jezza99

Well to be fair, they did try their hardest with the A50 ruling. No doubt Gina will be returning to them some time down the line, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they found a way of stopping it.

rancidpunk

Can't disagree with their decision on this. Something is needed to keep Government in check at times.

krish

It's just the Law Lords re-branded and Parliament still has sovereignty over it.

It's the unelected House of Lords you should be more concerned about.

Greg Hook

Agree. Whilst they are democratically elected, apart from voting for someone else at the next election, you are pretty much stuck with what they fancy doing on their own. We need a 'supreme court' to keep them in check.

The introduction of the employment law tribunal fees was one of the most stupid changes of recent years. Hopefully this decision will help to abolish it.

Jezza99

Yes but that's kind off the point. Perhaps it was stupid, Governments do a lot of things which people disagree with, but they are democratically elected to do those things.

If we have these dozen or so unelected people who can just strike down legislation which has been approved by both houses of parliament, then what is the point of parliament? Why are these unelected people more powerful that the 650 people we elect?  Why do we not just submit all proposed legislation to the Supreme Court to gain their approval first?

I find the power they wield, and their total lack of accountability very disturbing.

krish

Err they can't "strike down legislation which has been approved by both houses of parliament" and that upper house is unelected too.

Employment tribunal fees were never legislated on in Parliament, they were part of a secondary order of the Lord Chancellor not the primary Parliamentary act. Furthermore Parliament's elected Justice select committee had already made similar recommendations in its report last year.

As I already posted, Parliament still has sovereignty over it.

Jezza99

Errr....they can. And do.

Joint enterprise law wrongly interpreted for 30 years, Supreme Court rules - BBC News

krish

Err ... that's not striking down legislation