BORIS Johnson is acting like a “tin-pot dictator” with his plans to allow ministers to rip up judicial rulings which they do not agree with, the SNP have said in a fierce attack on the Prime Minister.
The broadside comes after it was revealed Johnson plans to create an annual bill which would undo any court rulings that ministers did not like from the past 12 months.
The plan has been likened to “the final step to dictatorship” by top lawyers.
READ MORE: Fury as Boris Johnson plots to let ministers rip up court rulings they don't like
The SNP’s shadow justice secretary, Anne McLaughlin MP, said that the latest news showed “we have a Prime Minister who, when he doesn’t get his way, attempts to rewrite the rules”.
Furthermore, the Scottish party pointed to three separate policies of the Tory government which it says must be scrapped if the UK is “in any way to uphold democracy and the rule of law”.
The first is the Judicial Review Bill, which the SNP say seeks to remove vital checks and balances on the UK Government. A government-issued paper on the bill says it will seek to redress the imbalance “between Government, Parliament and the Courts”, saying that the courts' ability to quash decisions was “too often a blunt instrument”.
The second is the Elections Bill, which has been criticised as potentially disenfranchising millions of people by requiring them to produce ID in order to exercise their right to vote.
The third is the Tories’ plans to scrap the Human Rights Act, which could have far ranging repercussions including undermining devolution, “whittling away legal protections, reducing access to justice, and leaving the state less accountable for its actions”.
READ MORE: Not worried about what the Tories are up to? Here's why you should be
McLaughlin said: “I do not use the term lightly and I’m sorry I’m having to, but Boris Johnson is mirroring the actions of tin-pot dictators. It is clear that the rights of the people of Scotland and our democracy can now only be protected through independence.
“If the UK Government wishes in any way to uphold democracy and the rule of law, it is vital that it stops both the Judicial Review Bill and the Elections Bill in their tracks, as well as any plan that would see the Human Rights Act ripped up or overhauled.
“It is ludicrous - and extremely concerning - that we have a Prime Minister who, when he doesn’t get his way, attempts to rewrite the rules. It’s the reaction of a child who throws their toys out of the pram but with more sinister and damaging consequences. And then we have a UK Justice Secretary who is actively and unapologetically working against upholding human rights.
“But unfortunately, in recent times, none of this is surprising based on the recent actions of Boris Johnson and his Tory government, who seem intent on disregarding the rule of law at every turn - including hosting Christmas parties at Downing Street whilst indoor mixing was banned for everyone else, handing out multi-million pound contracts to friends and donors, unlawfully shutting down parliament, and ignoring lobbying rules.
“It is clear that the Prime Minister and his Cabinet think they are above the law - they are not. Scotland deserves better than this.”
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