British Senior Judge: EU Law Replacing English Common Law

Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, complained that judges were allowing the European Convention on Human Rights in Strasbourg to take precedence in their decision-making.

He said it was up to judges to “save” English common law – which dates back to the 12th century – by relying on it for precedents in their cases, rather than always looking to Strasbourg for guidance.

English common law, which has built up over the past 900 years, comprises legal decisions made by judges who have applied their common sense and knowledge of legal precedents to the facts placed before them.