When I was at university, the law students were the ones burning the midnight oil in the library and even after they graduated, they had to go through years of Law School before they could be let loose on the statute book. It now appears that they wasted their time, because the cuddly Coalition now running the UK has decided that we are all legal experts. As from today, we have been invited to submit our suggestions for which laws or regulations should be changed; all in the interests of creating “a more open and less intrusive society”. His royal Cleggness has appeared on YouTube to tell us why this is such a good idea.
Crowdsourcing new flavours of Walkers crisps is one thing, but applying this approach to the passing of legislation strikes me as being completely superficial. It will simply provide a platform for unrepresentative, extremist views, from both left and right, advocating such things as the legalisation of cannabis, the removal of speed cameras, the hanging of health and safety officers and the right to lock up anyone who doesn’t read The Daily Mail.
This is populist politics at its most puerile, giving people the illusion that their opinions matter. Drafting legislation is a complicated process, with numerous checks and balances built into the system. It rarely produces perfect laws, but it is far better than legislation which panders to popular prejudice.