Lady Chief Justice Dame Sue Carr wrote formal letters.
She confirmed at her 18 Feb press conference that she had written to the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor.
Financial Times: “Lady chief justice condemns Starmer and Badenoch over immigration comments”
The Guardian: “Top judge ‘deeply troubled’ by PMQs exchange on Gaza family’s right to live in UK”
Sky News: “England’s top judge condemns Starmer and Badenoch comments on Gaza family…”
Law Gazette: “Lady Chief Justice warns politicians must respect judicial independence”
📌 What Really Happened
- In February 2025, after remarks at PMQs (Starmer & Badenoch criticising a Gaza immigration ruling), Lady Chief Justice Dame Sue Carr wrote formal letters.
- She confirmed at her 18 Feb press conference that she had written to the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor.
- Her words:
“I was deeply troubled to learn of the exchanges … Both the question and the answer were unacceptable… I have written to the prime minister and the Lord Chancellor.”
(Official Judiciary Transcript, 18 Feb 2025)
Side-by-Side: What Each Outlet Reported
| Media Outlet | Headline / Key Quote | Focus of the Letter |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Times | “Lady chief justice condemns Starmer and Badenoch over immigration comments”<br>“…said she had written to the prime minister to take issue with language used by him and the opposition leader…” Rozenberg+15Financial Times+15Law Society of Ireland+15 | Criticism of remarks made by Starmer and Badenoch about a Gaza immigration ruling, emphasising judicial independence. |
| The Guardian | “Top judge ‘deeply troubled’ by PMQs exchange…” “…told reporters she had written letters about her concern…” The Guardian | Same—concerns over public remarks undermining judicial independence. |
| Evening Standard | “Starmer and Badenoch slammed by top judge…” “…revealed she has written to Mr Starmer and Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood…” The Standard | Expressed concern over parliamentary criticism of judicial decisions. |
| Law Society Gazette | “Concerns about judicial security at ‘all-time high’ – LCJ” “…reveals she has written to prime minister over ‘unacceptable’ exchange in parliament.” Law GazetteX (formerly Twitter) | Highlighted link between political attacks and threats to judges’ safety. |
| The Times | “Respect our independence, top judge says in Gaza immigration row” “…she said that she had been distressed by the exchanges… she had written to Downing Street and the Ministry of Justice…” The Times | Stressed that such issues must be addressed through lawful appeals, not public denouncements. |
Widespread Media Coverage
Here’s how the story was covered across various outlets:
- Financial Times: Highlighted Carr’s condemnation of Starmer and Badenoch, stressing judicial independence and warning against undermining legal boundaries Financial Times+5Financial Times+5Sky News+5.
- The Guardian: Focused on her rebuke, describing the incident as a constitutional warning sign and noting her message that political disagreements should follow legal process The Times+9The Guardian+9The Times+9.
- Sky News: Reported on Carr’s statement that she was “deeply troubled” and called both the question and the Prime Minister’s answer unacceptable The Independent+1.
- Arab News: Quoted her, including calls to protect judicial safety and avoid criticizing judges without proper understanding of the law Arab News+2The Times+2.
- The Times: Highlighted her larger point about judges living in fear due to mounting political attacks, and the need to respect judicial independence Middle East Eye+4The Times+4The Guardian+4.
- Wikipedia (on Dame Sue Carr): Summarizes the event, mentions that the Bar Council expressed support for her after criticism from others, reinforcing that it wasn’t a judicial ruling but a rare public warning Wikipedia.





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