Jenrick Uses Tory Conference Stage to Target 'Activist' Judges With Plans to Rewrite Judicial System
Early reaction cast the plan as politicising the courts, with critics saying the speech hurt his leadership prospects.
Overview
- He pledged to scrap the Judicial Appointments Commission and return judge selection to a strengthened Lord Chancellor.
- He said he would abolish the Sentencing Council, putting sentencing guidelines under the Justice Secretary accountable to Parliament.
- He vowed to remove immigration tribunals, arguing they enable “activist” judges, without detailing a replacement system.
- Labour condemned the agenda as an attempt to politicise the judiciary, and former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve branded parts of it “bonkers.”
- Reporters described a polite reception and uneven delivery, while Jenrick publicly urged Conservatives to back Kemi Badenoch despite ongoing leadership chatter.