Inquiry into the UK’s constitutional safeguards

In October 2026, JUSTICE submitted evidence to the House of Lords Constitution Committee as part of its inquiry into the UK's constitutional safeguards.

Adherence to and upholding the rule of law underpins our constitutional democracy. The Lords Constitution Committee recognised the fundamental importance of this principle and the rule of law’s centrality to the UK’s constitution in its first report in 2001 and in its latest report last year.

JUSTICE has previously looked at threats, developments and challenges that are corrosive to the rule of law in the UK and, therefore, to the health and security of our constitutional democracy, from weak legislative scrutiny to a lack of judicial diversity.

In this submission to the Consitution Committee, we highlight two further areas representing risks and opportunities to the health of the UK’s constitution:

• The governance and accountability of the justice system: JUSTICE’s research has identified critical gaps in the landscape of accountability, governance, and scrutiny mechanisms for the English courts and tribunals and some areas of public sector decision-making.  

• Equal and early access to legal education: Children and young people are the future custodians of our constitutional democracy, which is based on the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights. Every child should have access to high quality, engaging, and relevant education about the law, their rights, and our justice system.

Read the submission in full here.