The fact that the full UK Supreme Court had to meet in emergency session to force our Prime Minister to obey the law may well be extraordinary, but it is hardly surprising. Mr Johnson’s contempt for rules and broadsides against the judges for “frustrating the will of the people” are a danger to democracy, just when leadership is needed most to help stop the spread of authoritarianism by repressive regimes and the likes of Donald Trump.
But of course, Boris Johnson’s fights with Parliament and the courts have a deeper purpose than Brexit. The more he commits “constitutional vandalism”, to quote Lord Sumption, and pits “the people” against any institutions that seek to fetter him, the clearer his ultimate goal becomes. These are the classic actions of a ruler who wants to be above the law.
We recognise these instincts well from countries Freedom from Torture’s service users fled after they were tortured, often because they were campaigning for precisely the sorts of checks on power that are the hallmark of the British system. This includes the freedom of elected representatives to pass laws and hold ministers to account without facing a lockout or fears for their safety and an independent judiciary whose judgments the government respects not only in deeds, but also in words.
