Following the Queen’s speech yesterday morning, Alex Temple, Solicitor in our Public Law team, comments on the judicial review reforms that were announced: 

Every day, hundreds of people rely on judicial review. It is the last resort to protect our most fundamental rights and to correct unfair and unlawful decisions of government and public bodies. For many, this involves issues of life and limb, and anyone can find themselves in need of judicial review. It is therefore vital that it continues to work as intended, free from unnecessary interference.

It is concerning that the government is pressing ahead with its reforms of judicial review. The government has announced two changes that they intend to bring forward quickly. The impact will be to limit rights of appeal in some cases, and change the remedies available to applicants who win their cases. This further reduces the number of people who can access judicial review, and may mean that even those who show they have been wronged must wait longer for it to be put right.

Additionally, the government has been clear that they intend to go further in attempting to ‘rebalance’ judicial review. The government should be slow to take any action that will further prevent people from bringing legitimate grievances to Court, and instead should focus its efforts on ensuring that everyone can access justice when they need it.

For more information on this topic, visit our Judicial Review and Public Law page, or contact Alex Temple.