Summary: A legal challenge to Brexit has been brought before the courts by a group of British citizens and their lawyers.
A packed courtroom in London heard the first main legal challenge regarding the Brexit. Pressure has been building on the U.K. government to give lawmakers the vote on how the country’s exit from the European Union will happen.
The case is the first big step by opponents since the Brexit referendum where they have been able to discuss the choice of voters opting to leave the bloc but that Parliament should have a say in the negotiations on the future relationship between the E.U. and U.K. will be. The decision has divided the country with the division showing in the amount of noisy protesters gathered outside when the proceedings began.
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The main issue with the case rides on Article 50 – whether the government can formally leave the EU without prior approval from Parliament. British citizens with help from some of the top constitutional lawyers brought the case before the court. However U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May plans to invoke Article 50 by the end of March.
The legal challenge is being led by a British businesswoman and a hairdresser. A France-based expatriate joined their challenge as a co-party and used crowdfunding from over 4,000 people to raise the money to pay for lawyers. The Scottish and Welsh governments have hired their own lawyers to sit in on the case as observers.
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Lawmakers have been criticizing the government for what they see as a lack of transparency regarding the entire issue. Should the challenge be successful, the government may be required to provide legislation to formally leave the EU. This would give the lawmakers who oppose the Brexit the chance to try and guide the country toward an adapted exit where more ties to the bloc and open immigration policy could be used.
It may take weeks for the case to have a ruling but is likely to end up at the Supreme Court anyways.
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To learn more about the European Union, read U.S and the European Union Pushing Russia toward Recession.
Photo: w12.fr