8.1 - Independence of the Supreme Court Flashcards
THE NEUTRALITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE SUPREME COURT
THE NEUTRALITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE SUPREME COURT
How many men currently sit on the Supreme Court?
11
How many of the 12 justices studied at either Oxford or Cambridge?
11
What have judges been criticised for representing?
‘The Establishment’
How many nominations can the Justice Secretary reject?
1
Who makes the official appointment of the Justice to the Supreme Court?
The monarch
IN WHAT WAYS CAN THE SUPREME COURT CLAIM TO BE INDEPENDENT AND NEUTRAL?
IN WHAT WAYS CAN THE SUPREME COURT CLAIM TO BE INDEPENDENT AND NEUTRAL?
What are judges in the UK not allowed to be part of?
A political party
Who determines the salaries of judges?
The Senior Salaries Review Body
What do judges essentially have, similarly to judges in the US?
Security of tenure
What makes the US Supreme Court more politically partisan than the UK?
The president nominates justices to the Supreme Court whereas in the UK it is the Judicial Appointments Commission
What does ‘sub judice’ mean?
Parliament cannot express an opinion on a case
Why can Parliament not express an opinion on a case?
It would breach the separation of powers and undermine judicial independence
How did the Supreme Court react to MPs saying that parliamentary privilege meant they could not be tried in the criminal court?
The Supreme Court rejected their appeal
What did former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett say about senior judges for stopping him limiting the rights of asylum seekers?
‘I just want judges that live in the same real world as the rest of us’
