Isn’t it a shame that those who interpret, rule on and ultimately make law in the UK don’t come in for the same level of scrutiny as those who perform that function in the US?

Our system is very different obviously and we don’t yet have an equivalent of the US Supreme Court but I find it comforting that when a President announces a nomination for the court hundreds of people & lobby groups start pouring over every judicial decision ever made in an attempt to better understand their judicial philosophy. I like the idea of someone’s record coming under that level of scrutiny and the process that demands they account for their decisions before securing such an important role.

Don’t get me wrong – some of the mud being thrown at Sonia Sotomayor is appalling. Any worthwhile vetting process will inevitably throw up idiots with puerile, wrong-headed or downright objectionable reasons for opposing her. But I guess that’s the price you pay for making sure that those who shape the legal culture of a country have the wisdom and intellectual nous to perform that role.