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The government has “utter respect for the rule of law and the judiciary”

Robert Buckland, BBC Breakfast

26 February 2021

On BBC Breakfast, the Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said: “Out of respect for the rule of law and the judiciary, it means that... the lesson must be learned. And that must apply and does apply every day across Government.”

“I would absolutely strongly refute any suggestion that there is somehow an attitude in government that would seek to disregard the important decisions, the binding decisions of judges in our courts.”

“There is no doubt about this, we will always abide by the law”.

On Good Morning Britain, Buckland said: “If the government carries on ignoring the rulings and breaking the law, that would be unacceptable. I’m not sure that getting something wrong is the same as deliberately flouting the law.”

Facts

Only a week before, on 19 February 2021, the High Court ruled that Health Secretary Matt Hancock acted unlawfully when his department did not reveal details of contracts it had signed during the pandemic. Matt Hancock did not apologise.

Matt Hancock even said, on the Andrew Marr Show: “If I had my time again, absolutely I’d do exactly the same thing.”

Verdict

Robert Buckland’s high-sounding commitment may have been well-intentioned. But it was hollow and false.

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