David Pannick QC was made a Lord not long ago; and now he’s made his maiden speech, about the relationship between ministers and the judiciary, essentially. I’m glad he agrees with me about Paul Dacre, and I agree with his suggestion that it’s paradoxical, in a time when we seem to be more concerned than before about the separation of powers (a little too tidy-mindedly and abstractly for my taste), that we should look to the Lord Chancellor to defend the independence of the judiciary. But I’m not sure I agree with him about judges speaking up in defence of themselves. I’d have thought it better for judges to treat ill-informed criticism with what George Brown once called “complete ignoral”. I think there is a role for people like him, writing in the Times and now speaking in Parliament, to speak out against the Paul Daces of this world.
I have crossed swords with him a few times when he worked for the Treasury Solicitor. Since that time he has written in favour of prisoners getting the vote. Given that the Daily Mail is not in favour of this, no doubt he will soon get the chance to have a go at Paul Dacre from his seat in the HofL.