WHEN I was doing a course in political theory a great many decades ago, we were taught that the judiciary always took pride of place over the executive, meaning that the government had to obey the law. No-one queried this, no-one argued, it was just how it was. The aim of this pecking order was the upholding of certain standards and to give a lasting safeguard against abuse of political power.
Fast forward to 2021 and the reversal of all this is almost complete. Not only have we seen the slow erosion of standards (eg political lying being legalised), but the ever-increasing power of the UK Government to pass laws relatively unscrutinised and often unsanctioned by parliament. This goes right down to individual ministers being given the powers to make new laws in secret – laws which affect everyone in a population of millions – and to have them passed by executive order, ie by the back door.
READ MORE: Joanna Cherry: Even pro-independence groups should beware of the Tory spy bill
Recently we have seen Scotland’s hold over its own legal system eroded by the United Kingdom Internal Market Act. And now, the slightly humanising amendments by the House of Lords having been rejected by the House of Commons, the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill is being passed back to the Lords on Tuesday, presumably to get them to withdraw their remaining amendments. The Bill contains the legalisation of many acts of criminality, with no-one taking responsibility, no challenge by the law for the perpetrators.
If this bill is passed, in Britain WE ARE SEEING THE END OF THE RULE OF LAW AS WE KNOW IT.
Westminster is taking more and more control of Scotland and is all set to manage our economy and many of our domestic policies. If we are not only to knuckle under but be lied to, cheated, spied on and worse and with no legal redress, how can we be sure of anything we hope to do?
Surely it is time for decisive and immediate action? Maybe we should not only withdraw our SNP MPs from Westminster but openly declare the Treaty of Union irreparably broken and refuse to comply with these two recent Draconian and immoral Acts that have been imposed on us?
Oh Scotland, if this is not the time for a big bold statement, when is?
Valerie and Mark Waters
East Lothian
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