Claim afe83523Checked 09 Jul 2026
Weak EvidenceOn the evidence scale
“That judicial system gives the individual of this country much greater liberty and protection from the state than virtually anywhere else in the world.”
Reasoning & Evidence09 Jul 2026
British judicial review does give people a real way to challenge public bodies, and Parliament’s Library notes that judicial review can be used to contest unlawful decisions and even breaches of Convention rights. (judiciary.uk) But the claim’s global superlative is not supported by the comparative evidence available in 2011: the World Justice Project said the UK was one of several high-performing countries, while Sweden and Norway ranked first in multiple rule-of-law dimensions and the Netherlands ranked near the top in several; it also said the UK court system was independent but less accessible and affordable than some regional peers. (worldjusticeproject.org) Freedom House’s 2011 reports show the UK, Norway, and Sweden were all rated Free with identical political-rights and civil-liberties scores of 1/1, which undercuts the idea that the UK was uniquely protective against state power. (refworld.org) Sources: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, "Judicial review" (`https://www.judiciary.uk/how-the-law-works/judicial-review/`); UK Parliament House of Commons Library, "Constituency Casework: Judicial Review" (`https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7679/`); World Justice Project, "WJP Rule of Law Index 2011 Report" (`https://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/documents/WJP_Rule_of_Law_Index_2011_Report.pdf`); Freedom House/Refworld, "Freedom in the World 2011 - United Kingdom" (`https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/freehou/2011/80644`); Freedom House/Refworld, "Freedom in the World 2011 - Norway" (`https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/freehou/2011/en/80329`); Freedom House/Refworld, "Freedom in the World 2011 - Sweden" (`https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/freehou/2011/80650`).
From article
I think the fact that, whilst our history is not perfect – no country’s is – I think we have in the last few centuries contributed a lot more good than bad to the world. I think the way that we – through civil war and evolution – put together a form of parliamentary democracy that was viewed by the rest of the world as a civilised model to adopt. And, I think, to have had, since Magna Carta, an evolving but very stable and sound judicial system that actually gives the individual of this country much greater liberty and protection from the state than virtually anywhere else in the world.
I see those things as being very important, and I see those things as being very much under threat.
Sources opened+ 117 search hits considered
| [1] | worldjusticeproject.org |
| [2] | worldjusticeproject.org |
| [3] | worldjusticeproject.org |
| [4] | judiciary.uk |
| [5] | refworld.org |
| [6] | refworld.org |
| [7] | refworld.org |