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“It is the first responsibility of government in a democratic society to protect and safeguard the lives of its citizens. That is where the public interest lies. It is essential to the preservation of democracy, and it is the duty of the court to do all it can to respect and uphold that principle. But the court has another duty too. It is to protect and safeguard the rights of the individual.”

7th December 2015

Lord Hope of Craighead, A v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2005] 2 AC 68 at para [99]

‘The maintenance of the rule of law is in every way as important in a free society as the democratic franchise. In our society the rule of law rests upon twin foundations: the sovereignty of the Queen in Parliament in making the law and the sovereignty of the Queen’s courts in interpreting and applying the law.”

7th December 2015

Lord Bridge of Harwich in X Ltd v Morgan-Grampian (Publishers) Ltd [1991] 1 AC 1 at 48.

“If we ever needed to be reminded that the rule of law is precious and that its benefits should never be taken for granted, we should reflect on the consequences when the rule of law fails.”

24th November 2015

James Wolffe QC.

“The rule of law underpins a just and economically successful society.”

24th November 2015

James Wolffe QC, Dean of the Faculty

“Most of the supposed weaknesses of the [European Convention on Human Rights] are attributable to misunderstanding of it, and critics must ultimately answer two questions. Which of the rights would you discard? Would you rather live in a country in which these rights were not protected by law?”

24th October 2015

Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Rule of Law (2010) p 84