Faculty members defend judicial independence

A number of Faculty members today joined with colleagues from the University of Oxford to pen an open letter to The Times to express their concerns in the wake of the High Court decision in the case of (R) Miller and Dos Santos v. Secretary of State regarding the application of Article 50 and the UK's membership of the European Union.

The letter read:

Sir,

We deplore the crude attacks on the judges in (R) Miller and Dos Santos v. Secretary of State by sections of the press that share the government's position.

No less strongly we deplore the failure of the government (and in particular, of the Lord Chancellor) to condemn them.

This shows an indifference to the essential conditions for the rule of law which is objectionable and deeply worrying.

Yours truly

Professor John Armour (University of Oxford)
Professor John Baker (University of Cambridge)
Professor John Bell (University of Cambridge)
Professor Hugh Collins (University of Oxford)
Professor Paul Craig (University of Oxford)
Professor Paul Davies (University of Oxford)
Professor Mark Elliott (University of Cambridge)
Professor David Feldman (University of Cambridge)
Professor Richard Fentiman (University of Cambridge)
Professor Eilis Ferran (University of Cambridge)
Professor Christopher Forsyth (University of Cambridge)
Professor Sandy Fredman (University of Oxford)
Professor Mark Freedland (University of Oxford)
Professor Jeff King (University of Oxford)
Professor John Spencer (University of Cambridge)
Professor Graham Virgo (University of Cambridge)
Professor Stephen Weatherill (University of Oxford)
Professor Rebecca Williams (University of Oxford)