Brexit: judge fast-tracks challenge to stop Johnson forcing no deal

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Brexit: judge fast-tracks challenge to stop Johnson forcing no deal

Hearing in Edinburgh to block suspension of parliament backed by more than 70 MPs

Severin Carrell Scotland editor
Tue 13 Aug 2019 11.39 BST First published on Tue 13 Aug 2019 09.28 BST

A Scottish judge has fast-tracked a legal challenge backed by 75 MPs and peers to prevent Boris Johnson proroguing parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.

The cross-party group, led by the Scottish National party MP Joanna Cherry QC, alleges it would be illegal and unconstitutional for the prime minister to suspend the Commons to prevent MPs blocking a no-deal Brexit before 31 October.

They told Lord Doherty in the court of session “the petition raises legal issues of profound constitutional significance, and these require to be considered and determined as a matter of extreme urgency”.

Doherty ruled an urgent hearing of the case should take place on Friday 6 September, giving both sides only 10 days to prepare their legal arguments and four more days to revise them.

The case has been brought by a cross-party group of Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrat and former Tory MPs who quit the party over Brexit, and the Good Law Project, the anti-Brexit campaign group set up by Jolyon Maugham QC. Another two MPs are due to join the group before the next hearing.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/13/court-hears-challenge-boris-johnson-no-deal-brexit

[twpvoyageur]

1. Unconstitutional

Proroguing parliament would be an irresponsible, authoritarian and unconstitutional decision. Boris Johnson is not fit for office.