United Kingdom Supreme Court opens

[Jaden]

I was completely surprised by this when i saw it, i never realised they were changing the system (brought about through Tony Blair's Americanisation when he was P.M.), but today the UK has offically opened it's Supreme Court and sworn in it's first 11 judges, rebranding the Law Lords (which is sorta a shame just because i love the title "Law Lord"), and fully seperating the final court of appeal from Parliament, representating a major constitutional change. It also has horrible carpets.

Apart from seperating the court from Parliament (including physically moving it from Westminster Palace to across the road) and taking judiciary judgements away from the House of Lords, it's also making the process more modern and open compared to the previous Lords court, including the building, more public seats and also filming proceedings for broadcast on television etc. Wigs have also been done away with.

Then of course, with constitutional change, and a seperation from parliament and the government, some also fear just how far the new supreme court will go and if they could prevent problems etc for the government, and there's always some who dislike the idea of changing the traditional ways.

There also seems to be a bit of a devolution mish-mash going on when it comes to how much it's going to affect Scotland in particular, but also Wales and Northern Ireland; it seems for some things the rulings will apply to Scotland but for others it won't.

Also, while i know legal independence from parliament is a good thing, but in practice the Law Lords kept themselves seperate from the House of Lords anyway, and it has been described as "a change in form rather than substance"; it's still the same Lords sitting in the court, just under a new guise, bringing about the "if it isn't broken why fix it?" argument to a degree.


So any views on the new court? good idea? bad idea? will it affect us much? is it more symbolic than anything else?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283939.stm Article showing the President of the Supreme Court being sworn in

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283967.stm Supreme Court Q&A

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8152427.stm Inside the Supreme Court

[Joker]

the name shouldnt of changed. The wigs should stay. The name is utterly repulsive. I disliked the idea so much when i heard it i refused to read into it.

[Wensleydale]

I'll go with good idea, bad implementation.

[Ingrate]

The omega symbol on that logo thingy is just bloody awful.
The creation of a Supreme Court is a pointless endeavour overall. Even the justices involved admit that barely anything is changing. Blahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[edit] omg I just checked out the carpets and they're beyond absymal. They're like something from a Wacky Warehouse [remember those?].

[Ewan]

I'm actually really quite upset about this. They should never have made any of these changes. House of Lords sounds brilliant, and Law Lords > any other term.

[Jaden]

[edit] omg I just checked out the carpets and they're beyond absymal. They're like something from a Wacky Warehouse [remember those?].

Told you they were bad.

To me this is just another reason to hate Tony Blair; it's sad to see a unique, traditional, and let's face it cool system be replaced by something that in practice works no differently, but reeks of Blair's America-love.

I actually find it quite sad to see the end of the House of Lords as the final court of appeal; it's like a part of Britain has been killed off along with the tradition for the sake of modern symbolism.

[Dionysus]

I'm actually quite upset about this. FUCK YOU BLAIR.

[Títmouse]

What a waste of time, it's hardly 'supreme'.

[steeper]

Our supreme court > your supreme court.



Look at how festive they are in their Santa getups! (also, red carpets).

Seriously though, if your Court is being run the way ours is, then it's a good step that has been taken.

[Ingrate]

I'm still in a state of apoplexy at the carpets.

[steeper]

I don't know, I rather fancy the carpets. Think there's any remnants? I'd like to redo my bedroom.

[Karxili'boq]

I really want to know why they bothered changing a system that was originally confusing, but has been in use for hundreds of years (so people have gotten used to it) into something a bit more straightforward but introducing a whole new court and changing things etc. For one, it's more stuff to add to either my Law course or gov. pol. course (or both) when it's all already been planned out and allocated and because we know shit all about it, the next generation of law-related people won't have a clue, instead of coming out with some sort of idea about the past way it was.

I say it was unnecessary, a waste of money, and really rather pointless and confusing.

[Joker]

I really want to know why they bothered changing a system that was originally confusing, but has been in use for hundreds of years (so people have gotten used to it) into something a bit more straightforward but introducing a whole new court and changing things etc. For one, it's more stuff to add to either my Law course or gov. pol. course (or both) when it's all already been planned out and allocated and because we know shit all about it, the next generation of law-related people won't have a clue, instead of coming out with some sort of idea about the past way it was.

I say it was unnecessary, a waste of money, and really rather pointless and confusing.

The law is only as useful as its ability to be understood. So no its not a waste.

I can assure you anyone who under go significant legal studies will not have any issues with catching up with such a minor point.

Tradition is the biggest load of bollocks of an excuse to prevent progress that has ever existed.

[Títmouse]

Tradition is the biggest load of bollocks of an excuse to prevent progress that has ever existed.

There's no point in progress for progress' sake. I can't see any point in this court, really.

[Joker]

There's no point in progress for progress' sake. I can't see any point in this court, really.

Seriously, do you read what your type these days? there is every point in improving things for the sake of improving it.