01:45UK: Supreme Court rules parliament must vote on triggering Brexit
UK Prime Minister Theresa May's government needs to get parliament's approval to launch Article 50 that formally begin the Brexit process, the Supreme Court ruled in London on Tuesday.
"Today by a majority of eight to three the Supreme Court rules that the government cannot trigger Article 50 without an Act of Parliament," President of the Supreme Court David Neuberger announced.
"Section 2 of the 1972 Act provides whenever the EU institutions make new laws those new laws become part of UK law. The 1972 Act therefore makes EU law an independent source of UK law until parliament decided otherwise. Therefore when the UK withdraws from the EU treaties, a source of UK law will be cut off. Further certain rights enjoined by UK citizens will be changed. Therefore the government cannot trigger Article 50 without Parliament authorising that course."
May must now wait until parliament has approved the triggering of Article 50 before she can begin the path to Britain's departure from the European Union under the Lisbon Treaty. If the article is passed, the process is expected initiated by the end of March 2017.
A total of 11 UK justices were called to give their verdict on a government appeal that May should consult lawmakers before embarking on departure procedures. The panel of senior judges was the largest gathered for a single case since 1876.
Once and if Article 50 has been triggered, the UK will have a two-year deadline to finalise any deals before all EU laws and treaties are terminated. Within this time frame, negotiators between the remaining 27 member states and the UK will have to decide what will happen in terms of, open borders, free movement and trade.
01:45UK Prime Minister Theresa May's government needs to get parliament's approval to launch Article 50 that formally begin the Brexit process, the Supreme Court ruled in London on Tuesday.
"Today by a majority of eight to three the Supreme Court rules that the government cannot trigger Article 50 without an Act of Parliament," President of the Supreme Court David Neuberger announced.
"Section 2 of the 1972 Act provides whenever the EU institutions make new laws those new laws become part of UK law. The 1972 Act therefore makes EU law an independent source of UK law until parliament decided otherwise. Therefore when the UK withdraws from the EU treaties, a source of UK law will be cut off. Further certain rights enjoined by UK citizens will be changed. Therefore the government cannot trigger Article 50 without Parliament authorising that course."
May must now wait until parliament has approved the triggering of Article 50 before she can begin the path to Britain's departure from the European Union under the Lisbon Treaty. If the article is passed, the process is expected initiated by the end of March 2017.
A total of 11 UK justices were called to give their verdict on a government appeal that May should consult lawmakers before embarking on departure procedures. The panel of senior judges was the largest gathered for a single case since 1876.
Once and if Article 50 has been triggered, the UK will have a two-year deadline to finalise any deals before all EU laws and treaties are terminated. Within this time frame, negotiators between the remaining 27 member states and the UK will have to decide what will happen in terms of, open borders, free movement and trade.