Part 7: Justice and the Rule of Law
British people have a respect for the law and a keen sense of justice. They like to know where they stand and what their rights are and who they can appeal to if a decision feels unjust. The rule of law and parliamentary democracy lie at the heart of the British constitution. The rule of law dates back to the Magna Carta of 1215, which established for the first time the principle that everybody, including the king, was subject to the law and that no one should be imprisoned without a trial. As such, it provides the basis for a fair and just society and remains a powerful symbol of liberty today. Lord Denning described it as “the greatest constitutional document of all times — the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot.” By restraining the power of the monarch, it was one of the first steps towards the establishment of parliamentary democracy in this country.
In Britain, we expect our legal processes to be fair, accessible and efficient, ensuring that individual rights are protected, and that the country’s international reputation for upholding and promoting the rule of law is maintained. Upholding the rule of law as a pillar of society has a long history in Britain but the fact is that Britain has no common legal system and no written constitution. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own separate legal systems. Similarly, there is no single written document that sets out the rights of individual citizens and…
