Law chief tells ministers: stop interfering in justice system

The country's most senior judge has warned ministers to stop interfering in the criminal justice system and leave the running of the courts to those who know best.

A "continuous bombardment of legislation" was making the justice system difficult to manage, Lord Woolf, the Lord Chief Justice, said in a speech to judges in Nigeria at the weekend.

His comments are sure to antagonise David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, who has been at odds with Lord Woolf over issues such as the sentencing of burglars and the question of whether ministers should have the power to set tariffs in the worst murder cases.

Lord Woolf told the audience at the All Africa Conference on Law: "We are now turning our attention to criminal law. Here, there are also very large problems. One of the difficulties is persuading the Government to allow those who know most about the system to sort out the system themselves. Our present government, like previous governments, cannot resist trying to impose solutions."

The Lord Chief Justice was recently criticised by politicians and commentators for new guideline sentences for burglars, and has clashed with the Home Secretary over the role of ministers in setting minimum sentences for murderers.

Lord Woolf said: "Politicians know of the public's concerns about crime and they want to be seen to be reacting to those concerns. I am afraid my experience is that, all too often, the interventions do not achieve what is intended."