In a setback for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Britain’s Supreme Court has ruled that the suspension of Parliament was illegal.
The ruling Tuesday is a major blow to the prime minister who had suspended Parliament for five weeks, claiming it was a routine closure.
Britain’s highest court ruled that Johnson’s government had actually shut Parliament to squelch debate on its Brexit policy.
Senior judge Brenda Hale said the suspension “was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification.”
Britain’s Supreme Court has ruled it has jurisdiction to rule on the suspension of Parliament.
The unanimous ruling of 11 judges was announced Tuesday. The court is deciding if Prime Minister Boris Johnson‘s suspension of Parliament was legal.
Britain’s Supreme Court plans to give its verdict Tuesday on the legality of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s five-week suspension of Parliament.
The case marks a historic confrontation between the prime minister, the courts, and Parliament over their rights and responsibilities.
Johnson has refused to say whether he will resign if he is found to have broken the law, or will seek to shut down Parliament again.
Britain’s highest court says it will announce the decision at 10:30 a.m. (0930GMT) after holding three days of hearings last week before 11 judges.
The court is deciding whether Johnson acted improperly by shutting down Parliament this month for five weeks before Britain’s Oct. 31 Brexit deadline, when the country is scheduled to leave the European Union.
