Having witnessed the workings of the UK justice system up close, one cannot help but ask: why is this structure so deeply flawed, and who is benefiting from its dysfunction? Time and time again, we hear tales of justice denied, misdeeds left unchecked, and regulatory bodies asleep at the wheel. There is a sense that the system isn’t merely broken but has been crafted to work this way—for some, at least.
Consider the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Supposedly the enforcers of ethical conduct within the legal profession, they present themselves as impartial guardians of justice, but anyone who has engaged with them soon realises the truth. They are regulators funded by the very firms they are meant to scrutinise, and that funding arrangement presents a glaring conflict of interest. How can they claim independence when their purse strings are held by those they are supposed to regulate? What should be their main incentive—protecting the public—is tainted by the competing interest of keeping their donors happy.
Those who hold positions within these regulatory bodies often either come from the very firms they’re regulating or have aspirations to join them once their stint with the SRA is over. This constant movement between the regulator and the regulated makes one wonder: whose interests are really being served here? To say there is an incentive to look the other way is an understatement. This is a systemic issue, and it ensures that those who wield power within the legal community rarely face true accountability. Familiar faces and favourable relationships can easily sway outcomes, creating an environment where the powerful remain untouched.
There is also the influence of Freemasonry. Though often dismissed as a relic of history, whispers of Masonic influence within the judiciary persist. The belief that allegiances beyond the public gaze can shape judicial outcomes refuses to die—and with good reason. A secretive organisation, sworn to uphold its own over others, seems a troubling element to have anywhere near a justice system that claims fairness and transparency as its cornerstones. How can people believe in impartiality when the old boys’ club meets behind closed doors?
Moreover, there are persistent allegations of backhanders and favours quietly exchanged in corridors. Who truly benefits when firms accused of wrongdoing are barely slapped on the wrist, and when individuals with the means to hire expensive legal counsel seem to emerge from courtroom battles unscathed? It often appears that justice is a commodity—available only to those with enough money or influence. For those without such resources, there is a chilling realisation that the scales of justice are neither balanced nor blind.
The UK justice system, it seems, is riddled with conflicts of interest, beholden to those it should regulate, and infiltrated by hidden networks of influence. The system turns a blind eye to misconduct when it’s convenient to do so, shielding those within its fold while leaving ordinary people to face its full weight. So, we ask—how has it come to this, and who has the power to change it? How do we rid our institutions of the vested interests and dubious loyalties that have so deeply compromised their effectiveness?
These are questions without easy answers. Yet, they need to be asked—loudly and often. Because until we demand better, those benefiting from the status quo will do everything they can to keep it firmly in place.
#UKJusticeSystem, #Corruption, #LegalRegulation, #SRAFailures, #Freemasonry, #LegalIndustry, #ConflictsOfInterest, #JusticeForAll
A very astute article on the UK Justice system that is corrupted by Regulators accepting licensing fees from the regulated