Paul Dorfman

Paul Dorfman (Warwick, University of Warwick): Part two of the Democratic Audit series on consultation (see also part one: Taking Consultation Seriously)

Consultation is an essential component of effective, democratic governance which commands public confidence. For this reason the new government Code of Practice on Consultation is correct to emphasise the need for it to constitute a genuine input into the policy-making process, rather than being a mere ‘tick-box’ exercise; for it to be transparent; for it to be held over a sufficiently long period of time; and for it to properly address the audience for which it is intended. Yet over an issue as important as the future of nuclear energy, government consultations repeatedly failed fully to meet these criteria, and stood condemned both by a professional standards body and the judiciary.