Enemies of the People?: How Judges Shape Society

by Joshua Rozenberg

Overview

Do judges use the power of the state for the good of the nation? Or do they create new laws in line with their personal views?

When newspapers reported a court ruling on Brexit, senior judges were shocked to see themselves condemned as enemies of the people.

But that did not stop them ruling that an order made by the Queen on the advice of her prime minister was just ‘a blank piece of paper’.

Joshua Rozenberg, Britain’s best-known commentator on the law, asks how judges can maintain public confidence while making hard choices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781529204506
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	05/14/2020
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Joshua Rozenberg is the only full-time journalist to have been appointed Queen’s Counsel honoris causa. After taking a law degree at Oxford he trained as a solicitor. He is an honorary Master of the Bench of Gray’s Inn and a non-executive board member of the Law Commission.

Joshua was the BBC’s legal correspondent for 15 years before moving to newspapers. He now presents the popular Radio 4 series Law in Action, which he launched in 1984 and appears regularly on other news networks in the UK and abroad.

Table of Contents

1 New Readers Start Here;

2 The Miller Tale;

3 Creating Crimes;

4 Families and the Law;

5 The Right to Death;

6 Discerning and Discriminating;

7 Rites and Rights;

8 Privacy and the Press;

9 Access to Justice;

10 Friends, Actually

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Every bit as masterful as you’d expect. Incisive, gripping, timely, I can’t recommend it enough.” Secret Barrister

“A brilliant, readable and timely survey of a topic of central importance in our troubled times. Joshua Rozenberg has produced a gripping account, including very recent material.” Dinah Rose, QC, Blackstone Chambers

“Joshua Rozenberg’s wry and accessible appraisal of the Supreme Court’s first decade is a civilised rebuke to those who would curb the power of judges.” Lord Anderson of Ipswich KBE QC

"A very readable and engaging book which I'd certainly recommend to students as part of their introduction to common law. It uses high-profile cases to demonstrate how cautiously the judges proceed." Professor Dame Hazel Genn DBE QC (hon), UniversityCollege London

"Never before have our judges been under greater scrutiny. But what they do and how they do it remains mysterious to many. There is an urgency to the themes tackled in this book. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of this vital branch of government." Catherine Dobson, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge

"Joshua Rozenberg’s views are clear throughout this engaging study of the role of the judiciary in contemporary Britain. At times he seems positively prescient. We need this sort of contribution to our current and frenzied debates." Sara Nathan OBE, former Judicial Appointments Commissioner

“This is a book for lawyers, journalists, students and the concerned citizen. There is no more trusted and knowledgeable commentator than Joshua Rozenberg to hold up a mirror to the judges and to the public wherein each sees the other.” Baroness Ruth Deech, DBE QC (hon)

"An informed and entertaining account of the role of our judges in deciding sensitive cases by our pre-eminent legal commentator." Lord Pannick QC, Blackstone Chambers

“Accessible and clear, it fills a gap in the literature. I will be recommending it to all my students.” Professor Robert Blackburn, King’s College London

"This urgent and timely book is essential reading for anyone concerned with the future of our democracy and the proper role of the legal system within it. Through deft analysis of recent case law, Rozenberg comprehensively de-bunks the pernicious myth of an activist judiciary whose actions improperly impinge on the exercise of executive power." Dr Natalie Byrom, The Legal Education Foundation

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Editorial Reviews

A superb introduction to the law in areas as diverse as death, divorce and discrimination [and] also serves as a vigorous defence of judges.” Times Literary Supplement

“The breadth of Rozenberg’s analysis means this book is a must-read for law students or the eager lay reader” Prospect Magazine “For students of parliamentary and political law espousing any political world-view, and more broadly for members of the citizenry avid for a correct vision of the political-legal-judicial aspects of society, this book comes close to being indispensable.” Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law

“A worthy read. Whilst it tackles some complex legal issues, it does so in a surprisingly accessible way, making it suitable for anyone with an interest in the area, not just legal professionals.” Leducate

“Enemies of the People? is a ravishing read for anyone intrigued by the powers of the judiciary… The reader can expect to leave more informed about the nature, scope and limits of judicial power, and with a greater appreciation of the manner in which judges discharge their judicial functions both within the United Kingdom (UK) and beyond.

From the Publisher

A superb introduction to the law in areas as diverse as death, divorce and discrimination [and] also serves as a vigorous defence of judges.”
 

Times Literary Supplement

"Never before have our judges been under greater scrutiny. But what they do and how they do it remains mysterious to many. There is an urgency to the themes tackled in this book. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of this vital branch of government. Catherine Dobson, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, “A brilliant, readable and timely survey of a topic of central importance in our troubled times. Joshua Rozenberg has produced a gripping account, including very recent material.” Dinah Rose, QC, Blackstone Chambers, A very readable and engaging book which I'd certainly recommend to students as part of their introduction to common law. It uses high-profile cases to demonstrate how cautiously the judges proceed."

Professor Dame Hazel Genn DBE QC (hon)