The UK’s immigration system has hit a new low, and last week’s series of baffling decisions has left many people feeling ashamed and frustrated. These rulings not only highlight how broken the system has become but also make our country less safe by allowing foreign criminals to stay here.
For example, how could a UK judge decide not to deport a convicted paedophile from Zimbabwe back to his home country? The judge argued that the criminal might face “hostility” in Zimbabwe, but isn’t it worse to let someone who poses a danger to children remain in the UK? This decision defies common sense and puts innocent lives at risk.
Then there was the case of an Albanian criminal who avoided deportation because his son supposedly didn’t like foreign chicken nuggets. Yes, you read that right. And if that wasn’t absurd enough, a jailed Pakistani paedophile was allowed to stay in the UK because deporting him would be “unduly harsh” on his own children.
These rulings are so far removed from reality that it’s hard to believe they came from trained judges. If Parliament can’t pass laws that judges feel bound to follow, and if judges are making decisions based on their own personal opinions rather than the law, then it’s time to rethink how our legal system works. Maybe it’s time to take away their judicial wigs and hold them accountable.
This mess can be traced back to Tony Blair’s 1998 Human Rights Act, which brought the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) into UK law. While the intention might have been noble, the result has been a disaster. The Act has essentially become a “lawyers’ charter,” giving judges the power to interpret laws based on their own political views rather than what Parliament intended. This has undermined the rule of law and damaged the UK’s constitutional framework.
The previous government tried to address this issue but failed. Now, with Keir Starmer in power, there’s little hope for change. Starmer, a human rights lawyer himself, has appointed his friend Lord Hermer, another human rights lawyer, as the country’s Attorney General. Both seem more committed to the ECHR and the International Court of Justice than to fixing the UK’s broken system.
When US Vice President JD Vance recently spoke about “the enemy within,” he was absolutely right. But in the UK, the problem is even worse. The “enemy” isn’t just within—it’s at the very top of our legal system, and it’s completely out of control.
Many people are now calling for the UK to leave the ECHR to regain control over immigration and deportation. While leaving the ECHR would be a step in the right direction, it’s not enough on its own. We also need to scrap the Human Rights Act entirely. Only then can we start to rebuild a system that prioritises the safety and well-being of British citizens.
But even that might not be enough. Judges have become too comfortable making decisions based on what they think the law *should* be, rather than what it actually is. If they refuse to change, perhaps it’s time to consider electing judges, as they do in the United States. This would ensure that judges are accountable to the public and might put an end to these outrageous rulings.
