Suella Braverman, a Johnsonian lawyer
The British government’s chief legal adviser thinks the judiciary needs reining in
FRANCIS BACON declared it “the painfullest task in the realm”. Patrick Hastings QC, who would serve three centuries later, called it “my idea of hell”. The post of attorney-general for England and Wales is one of the oldest in British government, and a difficult hybrid. The holder is a political animal, who attends cabinet and uses the law to get their colleagues’ business done. But they also have apolitical duties, such as authorising prosecutions for contempt of court. Above all, as the government’s chief legal adviser, they must act as an internal check on the government, and be ready to say “no” to the prime minister.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “A Johnsonian lawyer”
Britain April 9th 2022
- Britain has entered a third phase of post-war immigration
- Making deliveries via the Thames
- Britons’ use of consumer credit is rising with the cost of living
- Suella Braverman, a Johnsonian lawyer
- Who might buy Britain’s Channel 4?
- No-fault divorce begins this week in England and Wales
- The cruelty of the British state
From the April 9th 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Britain
Britain’s brokers are diversifying and becoming less British
London’s depleted stockmarket is forcing them to change
What a buzzy startup reveals about Britain’s biotech sector
Lots of clever scientists, not enough business nous
Britain’s government lacks a clear Europe policy
It should be more ambitious over getting closer to the EU
The Rachel Reeves theory of growth
The chancellor says it’s her number-one priority. We ask her what that means for Britain