Judges’ independence in Parliament

Sir, On the eve of Labour’s longest period in office, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, delayed his retirement (report, August 1) to oppose the dismantling of the post of Lord Chancellor as guarantor within government of the independence of the judiciary (letters, July 26, etc).

Almost too late our judges, who have relied on judicial review and the Human Rights Act to keep government power within bounds, must now see that their independence derives from a strong Parliament and their part in it. The systematic weakening of Parliament, cut by cut, has been a feature of new Labour policy.

Only the retention of the Lord Chancellor as the connecting force between government, Parliament and the judiciary can keep the balance between the three. The continued active presence of senior judges in the Lords is also needed to protect Parliament’s independence and to assist in the making of sound laws.