Backlogs and political attacks risk erosion of rule of law, Lords claim

House of Lords. Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images

The rule of law in the UK is being weakened, and everyone must take steps to protect it against further erosion, says a damming House of Lords report.

The ‘Rule of law: holding the line between anarchy and tyranny’ report, published on Thursday, identified three areas contributing to the decline: social/cultural erosion, institutional failings in the justice system, and political behaviour.

The report claims politicians should stop personal attacks on judges and it urges the government to take stronger action to defend the judiciary against supposed misinformation and attacks on judges’ integrity.

The Lords believe this hostility has a direct impact on judges’ safety.

This comes after shadow justice secretary Robert