Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he is prepared to change any domestic laws or international relationships that block progress of the policy ruled illegal by the Supreme Court.
Former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption described Sunak’s move to introduce emergency legislation as “profoundly discreditable”, saying using a law to declare Rwanda as safe would be “constitutionally really quite extraordinary”. [[BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67434842)]
“If the courts are told [by an Act of Parliament] that they’ve got to pretend that Rwanda is safe, whether it is or not, then that will work domestically,” he told the BBC.
“But it won’t work internationally. It will still be a breach of the government’s international law obligations. It will be a breach of the refugee treaty. It will be a breach of the rules of customary international law which the government has been promoting and saying covers this obligation for some years.”
The Supreme Court just decides matters, based on what the law says.
The Supreme Court said it’s illegal, as per current law.
Tories are going to change the law, so it’s no longer illegal.
This is how our system works.
We’re not the yanks with a codified written down constitution that the supreme court can overrule politicians with.
Our constitution is ever evolving, and is just whatever laws are currently on the books, along with various rulings setting precedent.
But the laws are ever changing.
Lord Sumption should have spent less time trying to start a fascist revolution at the National Trust the silly old coot
When the Government start acting illegally it’s time to get a new Government.
This is all so stupid.
The Supreme Court cannot override Parliament. It can only interpret and pass judgements on laws passed by Parliament. Recognising international obligations is due to laws passed by Parliament, such as the Human Rights Act.
The Conservatives have campaigned on leaving the European Court of Human Rights. If they want to achieve their goals, they should try and do it. Not say that past governments have promised to leave but failed. YOU promised to leave, and YOU failed. If you care that much, do it.
The Supreme Court found as a matter of fact that refugees who are sent to Rwanda will not be safe and that they are at risk of being sent back to the countries that were persecuting them.
The government want to change the law to say that this statement of fact is not true. They’re like those Americans 150 years ago who tried to change the law to say that Pi is 3.2.
It’s an insult to our legislative process and it makes our entire legal system look absurd. Doing that sort of horrific damage to the reputation of the UK and our legal system just to try to get a few more votes from brainless racists is obscene.
Brittania waives the rules.
The solution to every problem is more Brexit. ‘Brexit part deux, the European human rights convention.’ It will not make Rwanda renditions a good or useful policy but it will feel like taking back control all over again, so there’s that.
7 comments
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he is prepared to change any domestic laws or international relationships that block progress of the policy ruled illegal by the Supreme Court.
Former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption described Sunak’s move to introduce emergency legislation as “profoundly discreditable”, saying using a law to declare Rwanda as safe would be “constitutionally really quite extraordinary”. [[BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67434842)]
“If the courts are told [by an Act of Parliament] that they’ve got to pretend that Rwanda is safe, whether it is or not, then that will work domestically,” he told the BBC.
“But it won’t work internationally. It will still be a breach of the government’s international law obligations. It will be a breach of the refugee treaty. It will be a breach of the rules of customary international law which the government has been promoting and saying covers this obligation for some years.”
New home secretary, James Cleverly, has dismissed the criticism, telling Radio 4’s Today programme: “I have very eminent lawyers who take a different view.” [[London Economic](https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/lord-sumption-blasts-govts-extraordinary-move-to-override-supreme-court-ruling-363255/)]
They’re not overriding anything.
The Supreme Court just decides matters, based on what the law says.
The Supreme Court said it’s illegal, as per current law.
Tories are going to change the law, so it’s no longer illegal.
This is how our system works.
We’re not the yanks with a codified written down constitution that the supreme court can overrule politicians with.
Our constitution is ever evolving, and is just whatever laws are currently on the books, along with various rulings setting precedent.
But the laws are ever changing.
Lord Sumption should have spent less time trying to start a fascist revolution at the National Trust the silly old coot
When the Government start acting illegally it’s time to get a new Government.
This is all so stupid.
The Supreme Court cannot override Parliament. It can only interpret and pass judgements on laws passed by Parliament. Recognising international obligations is due to laws passed by Parliament, such as the Human Rights Act.
The Conservatives have campaigned on leaving the European Court of Human Rights. If they want to achieve their goals, they should try and do it. Not say that past governments have promised to leave but failed. YOU promised to leave, and YOU failed. If you care that much, do it.
The Supreme Court found as a matter of fact that refugees who are sent to Rwanda will not be safe and that they are at risk of being sent back to the countries that were persecuting them.
The government want to change the law to say that this statement of fact is not true. They’re like those Americans 150 years ago who tried to change the law to say that Pi is 3.2.
It’s an insult to our legislative process and it makes our entire legal system look absurd. Doing that sort of horrific damage to the reputation of the UK and our legal system just to try to get a few more votes from brainless racists is obscene.
Brittania waives the rules.
The solution to every problem is more Brexit. ‘Brexit part deux, the European human rights convention.’ It will not make Rwanda renditions a good or useful policy but it will feel like taking back control all over again, so there’s that.