London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Why does the government want to reform judicial review?

Why does the government want to reform judicial review?

Tory ministers have long been unhappy with wide-ranging court powers to challenge the legality of their actions

The justice secretary, Dominic Raab, is planning to make it harder to succeed in judicial reviews against the government, a leaked document suggests. But what is judicial review and why is the government determined to reform it?

What is judicial review?


A judicial review is a court proceeding in which a judge examines the lawfulness of an action or a decision of a public body such as the government, a local council, police force or NHS trust. It involves a claimant challenging the way a decision has been reached by an official or minister and determining whether that person made a mistake in law in reaching the decision.

Why is the government unhappy about judicial review?


Ministers have not taken kindly to losing cases or even to being challenged. There have been attacks on “lefty lawyers” and allegations that judges have overreached. Two of the most notorious judicial reviews to go against the government were related to Brexit, on whether it could trigger article 50 and the prorogation of parliament respectively. More recently, it has been angry about the challenge to its policy to send some migrants to Rwanda.

What has it sought to do about it?


In its last election manifesto the Conservative party pledged to end “abuse” of judicial review. The government handpicked a panel of six experts to conduct a review of it but was accused of distorting their findings. While the panel asserted the importance of judicial review and advised against “far-reaching legislation”, when launching a public consultation after its publication the Ministry of Justice said the panel had found courts were increasingly “moving beyond the remit of judicial review”.

The language used by the MoJ prompted fears about what was coming but ultimately the changes contained in the Judicial Review and Courts Act, which came into effect on Friday 15 July, were generally considered to be modest in impact. That is not to say they were without controversy, with the end to “Cart” judicial reviews – appeals against decisions of tribunals mainly relating to immigration/asylum and social security cases – criticised by the likes of Liberty and the Public Law Project.

Why is it looking at further changes?


There was a widely held perception that many in government did not feel that the judicial review reforms went far enough and that is why Robert Buckland QC was sacked as lord chancellor and justice secretary and replaced by Dominic Raab. The plans contained in the leaked document have a feel of unfinished business. Raab has already proposed scrapping the Human Rights Act and replacing it with a British bill of rights, which would also limit government accountability by denying some individuals hitherto universal protections.

What do judges say?


By convention, judges are prohibited from commenting on government policy or legislation. However, the all-party parliamentary group on democracy and the constitution (APPGDC) accused ministers of acting in a “constitutionally unhelpful and inappropriate manner” by questioning the legitimacy of judges and had created an impression that recent supreme court decisions favourable to the government may have been a response to political pressure. The head of the judiciary in England and Wales, Lord Burnett, has urged Raab to protect the judiciary against attacks by his colleagues. Geraint Davies MP, APPGDC chair, said Raab was complicit, saying the role of lord chancellor had become “a political stepping stone from which to take pot shots at the judiciary”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×