The 'majesty of the law': depoliticisation, the Rule of Law and judicial independence

The concept of depoliticisation is an important analytical tool in the study of British politics, although there remains a disproportionate focus on ‘successful’ examples of the strategy. This article provides an account of the failure of the Industrial Relations Act, focusing specifically on the National Industrial Relations Court. By presenting the Act as an attempt to insulate government by relying on the ‘majesty of the law’ as a disciplinary tool, this article argues that contradictions associated with the Rule of Law supporting capitalist social relations made the court an inappropriate vehicle for governing at arm’s-length in this context. The article explores how the lines of judicial independence became blurred, undermining perceptions of governmental disengagement. This resulted in the court becoming the most controversial aspect of the 1970–1974 Conservative government’s reforms. The analysis demonstrates how the interplay between formal rules and informal norms associated with ‘depoliticised institutions’ can produce unexpected outcomes and undermine a governing strategy. Contrary to intentions, the rules-based strategy embodied in the Act was anything but predictable and fuelled its untimely demise.