UKIP

[Tyrannical]

Well Judges in the UK unlike in the US are not the equal of elected politicians. They can can overrule a politician temporarily but the politician can just go back and change the law to overrule the judge.

The European Courts (not the EU which doest have judges) do have more authority but its a long time to get anything passed by then and they actually don't have any ability to impose their sanctions

You're partially right, but the most dangerous judicial acts are when they re-invent the US Constitution through their rulings. The remedy is not as simple as passing a law. It requires two thirds of both houses and most be ratified by two thirds of the State legislatures. That takes years. A lot of power invested in only a six person majority when it requires that much to undo their decision.

[MrJonno]

You're partially right, but the most dangerous judicial acts are when they re-invent the US Constitution through their rulings. The remedy is not as simple as passing a law. It requires two thirds of both houses and most be ratified by two thirds of the State legislatures. That takes years. A lot of power invested in only a six person majority when it requires that much to undo their decision.

In multicultural America could 2/3rd of its citizens agree on what day it is never mind a change in a constitution?. I can't see the US constitution ever changing again short of an all out nuclear war. Super majorities are fine when most or near most citizens are very similar which in many countries (or more accurately areas of land) a few centuries back they were now forget it.

In a modern democracy we share the same laws and land but bar that many of us have little in common with each other

[MrJonno]

Come to think of it I do have a few concerns about the ECHR and what is effectively a constitution in that judges telling politicians what they can or cannot do is simply not very British. It's not because they are non-British (they are British judges on it) but merely the fact they are judges. That said the ECHR does rightly have a lot of exceptions on its 'rights'. For example the US constitution sensibly bans slavery these days but doesn't ban jury service which plainly is a type of forced work. The ECHR specially has a clause that the government can force you to do your 'civic duty'.

They is also the fact while to leave the ECHR would be disgracefully for the UK they can't stop up, its only authority is moral