The House of Commons discussed yesterday a government proposal that would allow the UK government to ignore some injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Reportedly, Minister Robert Jenrick said the government would use this power only ‘highly judiciously’.
His choice of the word judiciously is interesting. The judges sitting in the ECHR are acting judicially—and may or may not be acting judiciously.
Judicious (and judiciously) refers to the exercise of good judgment. On the other hand, judicial (and judicially) refer to the involvement of a judge.
The UK government thinks decisions by judges at the ECHR are not always judicious. So, it wants to stop those decisions being made judicially, in the hope that ministers will make them judiciously.