UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Attorney General Richard Hermer warns that populist attacks on courts and the rule of law threaten working-class protections and public trust in justice.
As reported by The Guardian, Richard Hermer will warn in his most political address yet that rightwing populists pose a serious risk to legal protections for working-class citizens.
What did Richard Hermer say about populists threatening working-class rights?
Richard Hermer will warn that populist leaders, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, endanger the everyday legal protections that allow people to seek justice.
Addressing the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, he will say,
“If you can’t trust your case will be heard, or heard fairly, or if your fundamental rights are taken away, it is working-class people who will pay the price.”
The Attorney General’s remarks target rightwing leaders who have repeatedly attacked the legal system and, in certain cases, risked undermining ongoing trials with prejudicial statements.
Mr Hermer will argue,
“The rule of law is under threat from populists, whose ineffective solutions would harm working-class people. They are attempting to kick away the support net for ordinary people, who use our legal and judicial system to right significant wrongs.”
He will deliver his speech at a conference fringe event organized by the UCL Policy Institute and More in Common.
An insider close to the attorney general stated that he
“wants to make a more proactive case for how rights offer everyday protections for working-class people, such as the Human Rights Act helping secure justice for the families of those killed in the Hillsborough disaster, and as a platform for economic growth.”
Mr Hermer is expected to say that increasing hostile rhetoric toward lawyers has real-world effects, including threats and personal attacks on judges and legal staff.
In a speech at the Old Bailey over the summer, Mr Hermer highlighted the growing trend of attacking judges and questioning their impartiality.
He said,
“We have seen an increase in personal attack on individual judges, not only by newspapers but by British politicians – including frontbenchers in parliament – in terms that would have seemed scarcely believable even only a few years ago.”
Mr Hermer added,
“This has been accompanied by an increase in physical and online threats to judges, mirrored in some appalling threats to lawyers. These attacks are as misplaced as they are dangerous.”
How did Robert Jenrick and Reform MPs spark controversy over justice and the rule of law?
Earlier this month, a judge criticised Robert Jenrick for “ill thought through” remarks posted online regarding a murder trial that is underway.
In a now-deleted post on X on 1 July, he commented on the trial of Elias Morgan for the murder of former prison officer Lenny Scott.
Mr Jenrick posted,
“Lenny exposed corruption and took on the gangster controlling a prison wing. He received threats to his life, but he was left unsupported. Four years later he was shot dead. That will enrage any decent person. We need radical change, now.”
Alex Leach KC, the prosecutor, cited Mr Jenrick’s tweet to Mr. Justice Goose outside the jury’s presence, saying it was “problematic” for presenting prosecution evidence as fact.
The post was removed by the prosecution and is no longer online. Morgan was convicted on 29 August.
Reform UK MP Richard Tice has endorsed vigilante-style street patrols, raising criticism for undermining the police and the rule of law.
During a Reform press event, a council leader described a man awaiting trial as “the criminal.”
Nigel Farage responded to questions about contempt laws, calling it “good” that the council leader had shown some emotion.
Labour’s party conference in Liverpool
The Labour Party 2025 Annual Conference takes place at ACC Liverpool from September 28 to October 1. Keir Starmer aims to present an alternative to Reform UK amid internal party pressure and polling challenges.
Delegates will vote on party policies and motions during the event. Key issues expected include immigration, the two-child benefit cap, economic plans, and details on new “New Towns.”