LONDON, Sept 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain’s Supreme Court announced it will rule next week on whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson acted unlawfully in shutting down parliament in the final weeks before Brexit.
Following three days of intense arguments as the Brexit battle switched to the highest court in the land, judges are set to decide on Johnson’s advice to Queen Elizabeth II to suspend parliament for five weeks to Oct 14.
If the verdict goes against the premier, it could see parliament rapidly reassemble and would inevitably trigger questions about the prime minister’s position if he was found to have misled the monarch.
Johnson, who took office on July 24, insists suspending or proroguing parliament was a routine and long-overdue move to launch a fresh legislative programme.
But it sparked legal action accusing him of trying to silence MPs, who oppose his insistence on leaving the EU on October 31 without a divorce deal, if one cannot be agreed with Brussels.
Supreme Court President Brenda Hale stressed that the verdict would not determine when and on what terms Britain leaves the European Union.
“We are solely concerned with the lawfulness of the prime minister’s decision to advise Her Majesty to prorogue parliament on the dates in question,” she said.
“It is not a simple question and we will now consider carefully all the arguments which have been presented to us.
“But we also know that this case must be resolved as quickly as possible and we hope to be able to publish our decision early next week.”
The Supreme Court judges heard appeals against two conflicting lower court decisions on Johnson’s move.
Scotland’s highest civil court found the suspension was unlawful, but the High Court in England said it was not a matter for judges to intervene in.
The week before parliament was suspended, MPs rushed through legislation demanding Johnson ask the EU to delay Brexit if he has not agreed divorce terms in time.
He is now racing to try to agree a deal with Brussels to meet his Oct 31 deadline — although EU leaders say he has yet to offer formal proposals.
In a rare step, the maximum 11 of the 12 Supreme Court judges sat in the hearings — ensuring there cannot be a tied decision.
The case has attracted huge public interest. A record 4.41 million connections were made to the court’s live stream footage on its opening day on Tuesday.
