A rare situation where we export new rules back toward the UK

FRONT PAGE: "A U.K. Court Without the Wigs: New Supreme Bench, Patterned on America's, Stirs Debate," by Cassell Bryan-Low and Jess Bravin, Wall Street Journal, 17-18 October 2009.

The big innovation for the Brits is the independence of the court, meaning full separation from Parliament--the King Kong of British politics.

But a key difference remains: our Court derives its authority from our Constitution (the ultimate in rule sets), while Britain's remains a creature of its legislature, even as it now distances itself from Parliament.

The fear across the Pond? Brit judges will get uppity, just like ours have long been.