A cloud of political correctness

On its way to the USA

[Reprinted from Issues & Views September 3, 2001]

Earlier this year, one of Britain's most prominent judges retired, and took the opportunity to attack what he called a "cloud of political correctness" in the courts. In addition, he denounced a series of criminal justice laws that he claims restrict judicial independence.

Judge Neil Denison said he had "peered into the future" and did not like what he saw. Unfortunately, the judge is envisioning a future for England that has already overtaken the American legal system. John Steele, writing in the London Telegraph, elaborates:

Addressing the Number One court at the Central Criminal Court before an audience of judges, lawyers, staff and journalists, Judge Denison said: "I see a criminal justice system treated by Government and opposition alike as a political football. A new Criminal Justice Act is an annual event, each one of which, when not contradicting the previous one, brings ever more complicated sentencing provisions and restricts the discretion--and therefore the independence--of judges.

"Over all this hangs the cloud of political correctness. In some of its more lunatic aspects, political correctness is merely ridiculous. But in the thinking behind it, there is something more sinister which is shown by the fact that already there are certain areas and topics where freedom of speech, in the sense of the right to open and frank discussion, is being gradually but significantly eroded."

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