News from the Centre for Citizenship

The government intends to keep the power to veto the appointment of judges when a new judicial appointments commission is formed to take over this function from the abolished feudal office of Lord Chancellor. This setback to the separation of executive and judiciary was announced on Monday by constitutional affairs secretary and legislator-for-life Falconer as…

Chief Justice Woolf, Britain’s most senior judge, has criticised the way in which the feudal office of Lord Chancellor was abolished recently. He told a gathering of judges that this raised “questions as to whether our constitution provides the protection it should for our constitutional institutions.” The Chief Justice is also a legislator-for-life and considers…

A Canadian court judge has rejected a claim that the Canadian Charter of Rights invalidates the British Act of Settlement’s requirement that restricts succession to the Throne to Protestants. A Ontario Superior Court judge suggested that ruling in favour of the claim made by Tony O’Donohue, a Catholic of Irish descent, might lead to civil…

Charles Windsor, heir to Britain’s chief public office, took £9.9m from the Duchy of Cornwall in the last financial year. This was an increase of £2.1m on the previous year. Mr. Windsor receives the income from extensive land holdings in Cornwall and elsewhere in southern England as the so called Duke of Cornwall. Ownership dates…

The Windsor family increased their take from taxpayers by 2.5% in the last financial year, according to accounts published this week. The increase was largely caused by refurbishment of Clarence House, the fourth home of Charles Windsor, and the 2002 celebration of 50 years of his mother’s tenure as feudal head of state. The upgrading…

Freedom of expression in Britain is threatened by two European institutions. The Council of Europe has proposed that anyone criticised in an online medium be guaranteed a right of reply. Newspaper web sites and personal blogs would be affected if the proposal became law in Britain, in addition to web sites such as the Centre…

In effort to frighten TV viewers who refuse to pay the BBC for permission to watch other channels the British Broadcasting Corp. has announced that it has a new fleet of detection vans. It claims that new technology, including global positioning equipment, will help it to enforce its tax on free speech. The vans will…

The feudal post of Lord Chancellor will be abolished within 18 months, according to constitution affairs secretary Falconer. A consultation paper on the arrangements for replacing the Chancellor will be publish this autumn. This would be preceded by a paper on the proposal for a supreme court and independent judicial appointments committee. Mr. Falconer is…

Peter Hain, the new leader of the House of Commons, was reported today to be about to challenge Prime Minister Tony Blair by proposing that Britain’s remaining hereditary legislators-for-life be removed from office as a preliminary to other reforms to the House of Lords. Mr. Hain was also said to be calling for proportional representation…

Peter Hain, the new leader of the House of Commons, was reported today to be about to challenge Prime Minister Tony Blair by proposing that Britain’s remaining hereditary legislators-for-life be removed from office as a preliminary to other reforms to the House of Lords. Mr. Hain was also said to be calling for proportional representation…