New British PM Wants National Citizen Juries to Discuss Constitutional Reforms This Coming Year

By Jim Snider

Great Britain’s new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, in his July 3 speech to Parliament on parliamentary and constitutional reform, said that he asked his Justice Minister to hold a series of public meetings throughout the fall to discuss constitutional reform. In his remarks, he specifically endorsed citizen juries, as a preferred method of involving the citizens of UK directly in this process.

To further underscore his commitment to using Citizen Juries for such macro change, he personally visited a Citizens Jury being conducted in Bristol on September 6, 2007. This one was discussing various issues in the British educational system.  Brown is seen in a video clip on YouTube being involved in the deliberation process with the citizens.  He notes that issues from the use of the internet as an educational tool through obesity would be addressed well by Citizens Juries and that his government intends to listen to the results. Search YouTube: “Gordon Brown Citizens Jury”. (To watch the video, click here.)

The new Prime Minister seemed very serious about closing the persistent “democratic deficit” that the EU seems unable to do much about.  Accordingly, he made the following statements:

Gordon Brown on the Future of Deliberative Democracy in the UK

“While our system of representative democracy - local as well as national - is at the heart of our constitution, it can be enhanced by devolving more power directly to the people and I propose we start the debate and consult on empowering citizens and communities in four areas.

First, powers of initiative, extending the right of the British people to intervene with their elected local representatives to ensure action - through a new community right to call for action and new duties on public bodies to involve local people.

Second, new rights for the British people to be consulted through mechanisms such as 'citizens juries' on major decisions affecting their lives.

Third, powers of redress, new rights for the British people to scrutinise and improve the delivery of local services.

And fourth, powers to ballot on spending decisions in areas such as neighbourhood budgets and youth budgets, with decisions on finance made by local people themselves.

At the same time, we must give new life to the very idea of citizenship itself.
All of us in this House would acknowledge there are very specific challenges we must meet on engaging young people and improving citizenship education - and I hope there will be all-party support for a Commission to review this and make recommendations..
 

In Britain we have a largely unwritten constitution. To change that would represent a fundamental and historic shift in our constitutional arrangements. So it is right to involve the public in a sustained debate whether there is a case for the United Kingdom developing a full British Bill of Rights and Duties, or for moving towards a written constitution.

And because such fundamental changes should happen only where there is a settled consensus on whether to proceed, I have asked my Right Honorable Friend the Secretary for Justice to lead a dialogue within Parliament and with people across the United Kingdom by holding a series of hearings, starting in the autumn, in all regions and nations of this country - and he will consult with the other parties on this process.

Mr. Speaker, the changes we propose today and the national debate we now begin are founded upon the conviction that the best answer to disengagement from our democracy is to strengthen our democracy.

It is my hope that this dialogue of all parties and the British people will lead to a new consensus, a more effective democracy and a stronger sense of shared national purpose.”

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