British court rules Parliament must have say on Brexit law
British court rules Parliament must have say on Brexit law:- Britain’s top court ruled Tuesday that Prime Minister Theresa May’s government must seek parliamentary approval before it can start the formal legal process for withdrawing from the European Union. However, while the judgement is a political blow to the British leader and will complicate the country’s route to Brexit it is unlikely to stop it.
The 8-3 majority decision from the Supreme Court justices forces May to hold a vote in Parliament before she can trigger Article 50, the specific legislation that allows Britain to start negotiating its exit from the 28-nation political alliance. May has vowed to enact the legislation by the end of March.
Tuesday’s ruling means that May is not able to begin EU exit talks until she gets the consent of British legislators, although she has insisted that the March timetable is not in danger of being derailed and lawmakers from the major parties have said they want to abide by the result of the June referendum to leave the bloc.
The legal case against the government was brought by a hair dresser, a plumber and an investment banker. The court also ruled — unanimously — that regional British legislatures in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are not entitled to have a say in how and when Article 50 is triggered.
Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon has warned of a second independence referendum if the British government rejects her plan to keep Scotland in the European single market after Britain leaves the EU, expected in 2019.
Scottish leader: Government will get vote on bill to trigger Brexit
May argued that she does not need parliamentary consent to implement Article 50 because of executive authority granted to the British government under the “royal prerogative” — difficult to define discretionary powers sometimes used to opt out of international treaties. Opponents argued that parliamentary approval is needed to ward off a constitutional crisis. The British leader last week said she would consult legislators about the terms of any Brexit deal negotiated with the EU.
Source:- http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/01/24/british-court-rule-who-has-power-start-brexit/96980622/
