This week’s article is a continuation of last week’s in which we provided a background to the United Kingdom’s (UK) proposed withdrawal from the European Union (EU), known as Brexit, following the referendum of June 2016. Prime Minister Boris Johnson obtained the Queen’s approval for the suspension of Parliament from 10 September to 14 October, a move that critics considered an attempt to deny the legislature a say on Brexit. The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on 31 October.
On three separate occasions, the UK Parliament had rejected the withdrawal proposals brokered by the former Prime Minister Theresa May with the EU over what it considered the inadequacy of the “backstop” arrangements involving the 499-kilometre border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Both the London High Court and the Scottish court ruled that the Prime Minister’s action to suspend Parliament was not illegal. However, upon appeal, the Scottish Inner House overturned the latter’s ruling. The Government has since appealed the ruling.
Today, we continue from where we left off last week.
