Woolf defends judges after criticism from Blunkett
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Lord Woolf, the country's most senior judge, defended the judiciary yesterday against ministers' veiled threats to bring in new laws to curb the courts' powers to block government policies.
In his first public speech since David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, made his comments, the Lord Chief Justice said judges were following the will of Parliament.
Mr Blunkett said last month he was "fed up" with judges using the Human Rights Act to overturn government policy. Soon afterwards, No 10 was reported to be planning laws that would restrict the way judges used the Act. This sparked a debate about the constitutional relationship between the executive and the judiciary.
Yesterday, Lord Woolf, at an event arranged before Mr Blunkett made his comments, said that by upholding the Human Rights Act, judges were "protecting the public by ensuring that the Government complies with the laws made by Parliament.
"The courts are therefore acting in support of Parliament and not otherwise."