Parliament must approve Brexit negotiations, court rules

Britain's Attorney General Jeremy Wright makes a statement in London on January 24, 2017 following the judgement in a case to decide whether or not parliamentary approval is needed before the government can begin Brexit negotiations. PHOTO | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS | AFP

By  AFP

What you need to know:

  • Supreme Court President David Neuberger aid a majority of the 11 judges had agreed that withdrawing from the European Union meant there would have to be changes to British laws and, therefore, the national Parliament had to be consulted.

  • But he said lawmakers in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales had no say, in a blow for Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has argued that since Scotland voted to stay in the EU then it should not be taken out “against its will”.

LONDON, Tuesday

Britain’s Supreme Court ruled today that the government must win Parliament’s approval before beginning Brexit negotiations in a landmark judgement that also said regional lawmakers had no say.

“The Supreme Court rules that the government cannot trigger Article 50 without an act of Parliament authorising it to do so,” Supreme Court President David Neuberger told a packed courtroom in London.

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He said a majority of the 11 judges had agreed that withdrawing from the European Union meant there would have to be changes to British laws and, therefore, the national Parliament had to be consulted.

But he said lawmakers in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales had no say, in a blow for Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has argued that since Scotland voted to stay in the EU then it should not be taken out “against its will”.

Northern Ireland also voted against Brexit. “UK ministers are not legally compelled to consult the devolved legislatures... Relations with the EU are a matter for the UK government,” Neuberger said.

Attorney-General Jeremy Wright said the government was “disappointed” but the ruling was widely expected and draft legislation is already being prepared in order to meet Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit timetable.

May has said she is planning to invoke Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty by the end of March, and Brexit Minister David Davis is expected to address MPs later today to provide details.

David Greene, a lawyer for one of the claimants, hairdresser Deir Dos Santos, hailed the ruling as a “victory for democracy and the rule of law”.

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