Douglas Carswell's Blog

Judicial activism V localism

The High Court has apparently ruled that Bideford town council must not have prayers before their meetings.

It seems their lordships don't quite get this localism thingy.

Surely it should be for elected councillors to decide these things for themselves? After all, if those elected to a council are not able to decide on such matters, what exactly are they able to determine?

If local folk felt strongly about it, why didn't those opposed to prayers run for office promising to change things? Instead they ran to the activist judiciary.

This constant, drip drip of judicial activism will not do. If lefty lawyers want to impose their values on the rest of us, they should stand for office rather than decide public policy as judges.

Today's decision shows that it is time to make judges more democratically accountable.

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