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In its first week the Court is making a number of “interim orders” which have not yet been mentioned on its website. We still have no equivalent of the old House of Lords “Judicial Business” page.
A number of orders have been made in JFS case. We have already blogged the first court hearing, on costs. News now comes to us of further orders in this case. Although the case already has an impressive number of parties it seems to be gaining more. In the Court of Appeal, in addition to the claimant and the defendants, there were two represented interested parties and two represented interveners, the United Synagogue and the British Humanist Association. The Treasury Solicitor instructed a QC for the Secretary of State for Education and another one for the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. Lord Pannick QC represented the United Synagogue.
Today the Jewish Chronicle reports that the Equality and Human Rights Commission has been granted permission to intervene. A spokesman for the commission told the Jewish Chronicle
“The Supreme Court’s judgment in this case may have wider implications for how the Race Relations Act is applied. The Commission wants to make sure it has the opportunity to give its expert opinion on the interpretation of the Race Relations Act to ensure that rights are retained for the benefit of all protected groups.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has also been given permission to intervene. In a statement it said
The Board of Deputies of British Jews exists to promote and defend the religious rights and civil liberties of British Jewry. As the community’s democratically elected cross-communal organization, the Board connects with government, media and wider society, providing a unique means through which all British Jews can be heard and represented.
The current tally of interveners (according to a consolidating order from the Court dated 8 October) stands as follows.
1. Board of Deputies of British Jews
2. Equality and Human Rights Commission
3. United Synagogue
4. Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
5. British Humanist Association
This looks like the biggest case so far before the Court, at least in terms of judges and lawyers. It might be a good early test for its effective case management.