Lord chancellor Shabana Mahmood has told judges that the 'very least' they can expect from her is to protect the judiciary and not to comment on judgments. 

She was addressing members of the judiciary and guests at the Opening of the Legal Year breakfast which follows a service at Westminster Abbey. The abbey service, attended by judges and representatives of legal professional bodies, dates back to 1897, while the breakfast follows a tradition originating in the Middle Ages.

During the breakfast, Mahmood thanked the assembled judges for ‘everything you do to both uphold and enforce the rule of law’.

She added: ‘During the disorder this summer the vital importance of your work was thrown into stark relief as you handed down swift justice to those responsible. I have no doubt that you played a critical role in bringing the disgraceful unrest to a timely end. Demonstrating the same fortitude which has been so important to the justice system during the difficulties of the last few years.’

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Referring to the Dail Mail’s 2016 ‘Enemies of the People’ headline naming Court of Appeal judges, she said: ‘As your lord chancellor, I will always uphold my solemn oath to respect the rule of law and to defend your independence. On my watch, the government will never stay quiet if newspapers describe the judiciary as “enemies of the people” and equally, my colleagues and I will not be commentators on the judgments you hand down.

‘It is a point I have already made in cabinet, reinforced by the prime minister. Someone who, like each of us, has dedicated his life to justice. This is the very least that you can expect from me as your lord chancellor. Throughout the life of this parliament, I fully intend to do much more.'