Probably not the most flattering pictures The Guardian could have chosen see here and here for source of pics above.
Phil Woolas case: Speaker puts Oldham East rerun election on hold
Speaker will wait for court to rule on attempt by former minister to overturn ruling expelling him from Commons before announcing decision on new election
I have to admit that the decision of Mr Justice Silber today refusing judicial review took me by surprise – but as the judges were sitting as High Court judges and not ‘election commissioners’ (see Afua Hirsch below) the High Court cannot judicially review itself. Confused? I am not a specialist in Constitutional law – and, clearly, know even less about Election law. Fellow law bloggers on Twitter did admit that the law on the Representation of the People Act is hazy and unclear – so I don’t need to drown my legal sorrow.
Here is the judgment of the two High Court judges in the Watkins v Woolas case. HT to @Heresy_corner for the link.
Mark Pack put up the Mr Justice Silber ruling on judicial review this morning.
Phil Woolas case is becoming increasingly confusing
Analysis: No one seems totally clear whether or not the decision to strip the former minister of his seat is subject to judicial review
I am not entirely sure of this but perhaps the point is that the HIGH COURT is always the judicial reviewer but cannot be reviewed itself. There has to be an avenue of appeal – presumably to the CA on points of law.
This whole business of what cannot be judicially reviewed has been the subject of some appellate decisions recently. For a starter have a look at:
http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2009/3052.html&query=cart&method=boolean
Not directly on the point as regards the judicial review etc issue but I’ve been amused at the haste with which Labour has tossed Woolas overboard with a lot of huffing and puffing and moralising from ‘Hattie’ Harman.
Is this the first instance of the ship deserting the sinking rat?
always gonna happen tho wr, isn’t it? can you imagine the high horses charging for the moral high ground if she had failed to distance herself from him. it’s just the over black and white americanised idiot-politics our society demands and increasingly deserves.
times will be very interesting once a million people lose their jobs and more lose their homes. interesting in an 80s sort of way i mean.