David Davis’s recent article (Be warned: this government is robbing you of your right to challenge the state, 25 October) labels the government’s proposed reforms to judicial review “an obvious attempt to avoid accountability”. While the specific changes in clauses 1 and 2 of the current bill are actually relatively narrow and technical, I share his concerns about the attitude they reveal. Recent government statements demonstrate that the bill is only the opening skirmish in an effort to shield government power from legitimate oversight. The government frames its desire to curb judicial review as correcting an illegitimate political power grab against elected legislators by unelected judges. In fact, the government seeks to arrogate more power to itself. Judicial review exists to enable independent courts to act as parliament’s watchdog and ensure that public bodies abide by the law and interpret it correctly. The legal questions raised are “political” insofar as all wielding of state power is political, but judicial review is not about second-guessing policy choices, it is rather about upholding legislation. A judge’s role is to check whether decisions are within the decision-maker’s legal power and rationally made, following the proper procedures. If the government wants to modify the laws and procedures in question it is free to do so, but until that happens the courts require public bodies to obey the law as it stands. A significant curtailment of judicial review would place the government and public bodies above the law. Although Davis may be right that this aim “should come as no surprise”, it is no less worrying in its implications for being expected. Nick Wrightson London • I read David Davis’s article regarding the democratic right to challenge authority with growing dismay about how insidious the present administration is. The government, beginning with Boris Johnson, is starting to imitate the playbook of the US Republican party. Michael Bennett London • To my considerable surprise I write to support David Davis in his alarm at any attempt to curtail a vital plank in our democratic process. Jonathan Pennington London • Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.