London
Prime Minister Tony Blair has abolished the 1,400-year-old post of lord chancellor. The office, held in centuries past by such notables as Sir Thomas More and Thomas à Becket, was the highest in the British court system, with the power to appoint judges. Getting rid of the post is a key part of Blair’s plan to create a new high court within three years that would be fully independent of the legislature, as in the U.S. Under the current British system, the Law Lords comprise the highest court of appeal and serve both as legislators and judges. No other constitutional democracy has its highest court as part of the legislature.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
6 gorgeous homes in warm climesFeature Featuring a Spanish Revival in Tucson and Richard Neutra-designed modernist home in Los Angeles
-
Russia’s ‘cyborg’ spy pigeonsUnder the Radar Moscow neurotech company with Kremlin-linked funding claims to implant neural chips in birds’ brains to control their flight, and create ‘bio-drones’
-
Political cartoons for February 8Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include going down the drain, American history, and more
