The Good Law Project (GLP) has lost again. But the lessons from this particular loss touch on a deeper problem in society. Our relationship with ‘the law’ and ‘rules’ has become dangerously confused.
What happened? Well, there was a two day hearing involving a King’s Counsel and three other barristers for the GLP, and another King’s Counsel and two more barristers for the government. That is an expensive two days.
What did the GLP want? Well, they weren’t actually clear initially, so we’ll come back to that later. But it was all to do with the issue of ministers using private emails and private WhatsApp or other messaging services for government business. The GLP were determined to stop that. They failed.
They failed, but in some ways, they won – because people who are making our society effectively ungovernable cried ‘shame’ at ministers anyway when the case was announced. No one waits to see what a court actually says these days before rushing to judgement.
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