Referenda are direct democracy
In their assumed wisdom three High Court judges ruled that Brexit may not be effected without the consent of parliament.
Last June over 52 per cent of the British people voted in a nationwide referendum for their country to resign its membership of the European Union, EU. That was Direct Democracy at work, pure democracy.
Parliament is representative democracy. It is second best. It only exists as a substitute for direct democracy for the simple reason direct democracy in a nation of almost seventy million people would not be practicable.
A referendum could not be held to decide every policy of government or the introduction of new laws or changes in the law. Referenda are only applicable and relevant when the country is faced with a major issue affecting the whole population. But, at the same time, referenda clearly illustrate the will of the majority of the people.
The judges have violated direct democracy. The rule of law is a principle of democracy. Democracy is not a principle of the rule of law. The rule of law can never be allowed to destroy democracy. Without democracy there is no rule of law. Demo-cracy itself takes precedent; it is paramount. No principle afforded by democracy is greater than democracy itself and nothing is more fundamental to democracy than a referendum.
J C Wilcox
