SC not powerful

• UK Supreme Court

  • Must wait for a case to be brought before it
  • Has no power to initiate a judicial review
  • The number of applications for judicial review fell by 44% between 2015 and 2019, largely as a result of cuts to legal aid for such challenges
• Politicians often undermine the independence of the Supreme Court and the judiciary more widely


  Example: successive governments have set minimum terms for criminal offences and sentencing guidelines for judges
• The courts are simply ensuring that rights are protected A powerful executive with a majority in Parliament


  Determines the range and scope of rights Example: the Justice and Security Act (2013) allowed 'closed material proceedings' or secret courts into the justice system, something the Supreme Court is powerless to stop