Weekly Update 28 January 2022
Weekly Update 28 January 2022
Dear Friends,
"Nobody is above the law. This is important for ensuring the necessary degree of trust between the public and government." These are the words of former Prime Minister Theresa May, as quoted this week by a local newspaper in her Maidenhead constituency.
This week, the Metropolitan Police announced a criminal investigation into 'partygate', as the scandal about alleged breaches of Coronavirus regulations by politicians and public officials at No 10 Downing Street has become known. The UK is still awaiting the findings of an earlier inquiry led by senior civil servant Sue Gray.
The level of public concern about adherence to rules has been demonstrated by a recent survey, What Kind of Democracy Do People Want?, of over 6,000 UK residents, published by the UCL Constitution Unit this month. One of its key findings is that "Most people wanted politicians who are honest, have integrity, and operate within the rules". The statement "Healthy democracy requires that politicians always act within the rules" was supported by 75% of respondents, with only 6% disagreeing.
In our Update this week, we bring you news of Bingham Centre engagement with parliamentary scrutiny of the Coronavirus legislation that has loomed so large in everyday life over the past two years. We also discuss Rule of Law problems in the Nationality and Borders Bill, which is currently being debated by the House of Lords, and share developments in research on modern slavery and debates about the extent to which the European Union has the legal capabilities it needs to address persistent Rule of Law abuses by member states.
You can read the whole Weekly Update here.
