The legal system is under pressure from many sides. Judges have become increasingly involved in politics – especially in recent years over Brexit. This has led to accusations that judges are meddling in politics; and some were called ‘enemies of the people’ by one newspaper. Boris Johnson's decision in 2019 to suspend Parliament for five weeks was judged unlawful by the Supreme Court leading to calls for the resignation of the prime minister. The Leader of the Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said to other cabinet ministers that the action had amounted to a ‘constitutional coup’. More everyday justice faces pressures too. And now there’s criticism about the lack of parliamentary scrutiny over legislation for dealing with the pandemic. We look at the role of the judiciary in the state, the relevance of the law in constitutional decision-making, and – more widely – at the law, fairness, the future of democracy, human rights and ensuring justice for all.

Nazir Afzal OBE, former Chief Crown Prosecutor who has prosecuted some of the most high-profile cases in the country (with a special focus on domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and ‘honour-based’ violence communities that the conventional justice system ignores), looks at giving a voice to the voiceless.

Gina Miller came to prominence when she brought one of the most significant constitutional cases ever to be heard in the British Supreme Court, challenging the UK government's authority to trigger Article 50 – the formal notification to leave the European Union – without parliamentary approval. She looks at the law and democracy.

Joshua Rozenberg, Britain’s best-known commentator on the law, asks how judges can maintain public confidence while making hard choices.

Jessica Simor QC, one of the country’s leading specialists in public/regulatory, EU and human rights law, looks at human rights and the EU following Brexit.

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Festival of Ideas: The Future for Law and Democracy in the UK