Judicial review is your right to challenge the Government in court. The Government thinks the use of judicial review has an impact on “economic recovery and growth” and is an “inappropriate campaign tool”. Friends of the Earth believes it’s an effective way of holding those in power to account, such as our successful legal challenge on the solar Feed-in Tariff.
Everyone, including the Government, must obey the law. If government proposals are unlawful, individuals and concerned groups have the right to challenge them in court through judicial review.
But the Government wants to change the rules. Their new proposals for Judicial Review threatens:
- the rule of law and the system of checks and balances on Government action
- our ability to hold Government to account
- to discourage organisations from intervening in cases by increasing costs when making a claim.
These proposals will undermine our democratic system, making it harder for people to bring forward environmental cases. Instead of issuing consultations on changing the rules, the Government just needs to act lawfully to avoid legal challenges.
Judicial review must be protected for the sake of democracy and the rights of local individuals and campaign groups.
The Government’s consultation ends on the 1st November 2013. Please write now to your MP about these concerns.
For all you legal eagles out there – you can read the Government’s consultation on judicial review here.