As investors and politicians gather for the government’s International Investment Summit today, the attorney general will declare that the rule of law is crucial for securing economic growth but needs to be protected from domestic and international threats in the current age of populism.
Delivering a lecture hosted by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law this evening, Richard Hermer KC will say the country is living through uncertain and challenging times, with threats to the rule of law on several fronts.
Hermer will say times of crisis and challenge can be fertile ground for a type of politics which argues that the rule of law is somehow in tension with democratic values. In its most pernicious form, that style of politics demonises other groups, usually minorities, discredits the legal frameworks and institutions that guarantee rights, and aims to dismantle consensus around these and other rule of law values.
However, he will point out that the rule of law is essential for securing economic growth. One of Britain's greatest commercial advantages is the trust that businesses can have in the courts and confidence in a stable and transparent business environment underpinned by a strong rule of law.
Safeguarding the rule of law in an age of populism will require immediate steps to restore the UK’s reputation as a rule of law leader, such as abiding by international conventions, courts and championing international institutions, and rebuilding a political consensu around the rule of law.
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