Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Rishi Sunak to Bring in Emergency Law after Court’s Rwanda Ruling

THE GUARDIAN: PM says legislation will ‘confirm’ Rwanda is safe country for asylum seekers – and says he is prepared to defy ECHR if necessary

Rishi Sunak said he accepted the supreme court decision but he did not agree with it and would find a way around it. Photograph: Leon Neal/PA

Rishi Sunak is introducing emergency legislation to “confirm” that Rwanda is a safe country for asylum seekers deported from the UK, after the supreme court blocked his plan.

The prime minister said he would bring forward the new laws shortly and would be prepared to defy any judgment from the European court of human rights in Strasbourg if there were further attempts to stop Rwanda flights going ahead.

“I will not allow a foreign court to block these flights,” he said, arguing that the supreme court judgment had hardened his resolve for the Rwanda plan to proceed.

He added: “I am prepared to do what is necessary to get flights off. I will not take the easy way out.” » | Rowena Mason, Whitehall editor | Wednesday, November 15, 2023

This unelected prime minister is surely overstepping the mark in overriding this Supreme Court decision. Why have a Supreme Court at all if you aren't going to abide by the Court's decisions? Moreover, Sunak will be setting a very dangerous precedent by doing this. This prime minister is behaving like a schoolboy in a man's world! – © Mark Alexander