The Human Rights Act and Juridification: Saving Democracy from Law
| Author | Fergal Davis |
| Published date | 01 June 2010 |
| Date | 01 June 2010 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9256.2010.01371.x |
ResearchandAnalysis
TheHumanRightsActand
Juridification:SavingDemocracy
fromLawponl_137191..97
FergalDavis
LancasterUniversity
TheHumanRightsAct(HRA)1998s.4declarationofincompatibilitywasdesignedtopreserveand
maintainthesupremacyofparliamentandtherebyreinforcethesuperiorityofthedemocratic
actorswithintheUKconstitution.Despitethis,theauthorwillillustrateaprocessofjuridification
–thereplacingofpoliticswiththeformalityoflawandlegaldecisions–andwillarguethatthishas
underminedtheprotectionofcivillibertiesandthecontroloftheexecutiveintheUK.The
strengtheningofdemocracythroughagenuine‘declarationofincompatibility’ratherthanthe
currentdefactojudicialstrike-downpowerwillbeadvocated.
Introduction
TheHumanRightsAct(HRA)1998allowscitizenstoasserttheirrightsunderthe
EuropeanConventionofHumanRights(ECHR)beforetheUKcourts.Unders.4of
theHRA,allUKcourtsabovetheHighCourthavethepowertodeterminethatan
ActofParliamentis‘incompatible’withtheHRA.Suchadeclarationdoesnot
invalidatetheActofParliament.Followingas.4declaration,s.10oftheAct
providesthataministerofthecrown‘maybyordermakesuchamendmentstothe
legislationasheconsidersnecessarytoremovetheincompatibility’–theminister
isnotcompelledtoact.Thepresumptionexiststhatiftheministerfailedtorectify
theincompatibility,itwouldthenbeanissueforparliament.
‘[The]genius[ofthedeclarationofincompatibility]liesinthewayinwhichit
deliberatelyunderminesitsownauthority,invitingthepoliticalbackintocontrol
thelegalatjustthemomentwhenthesupremacyofthelegaldiscourseseems
assured’(Gearty,2006,p.95).
Thisretreatfromthe‘supremacyofthelegaldiscourse’isrespectfultoA.V.Dicey’s
theoryofparliamentarysovereignty(Dicey,1959)andisdesignedtoavoid‘the
judicialisationofpolitics;andthepoliticisationoflaw’(Phillipson,2007).Despite
parliament’sattempttolimittheroleofthecourtsto‘courteousrequestsfor
conversation,notpronouncementsoftruthfromonhigh’(Gearty,2006,p.96)
therehasbeenadiscernibleprocessofjuridification–particularlynoticeableinthe
fieldofcounter-terrorism.Thisarticlewillexaminethatprocess,whichconstitutes
aturningtothecourtsasasubstitutefortraditionalmethodsofpolitics.Through
POLITICS: 2010 VOL 30(2), 91–97
© 2010 The Author.Journal compilation © 2010 Political Studies Association
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