by Alicia Nicholls
In its judgement rendered this morning, the UK High Court has held that Parliament must vote before the UK can begin the process of leaving the European Union by giving notice pursuant to Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
In summary, the court did not accept the argument by the Government that its prerogative powers included the ability to make such a notification without parliamentary approval. The question of whether the Article 50 notification should be made, therefore, must be submitted to Parliament for a vote.
This is not the end of this story of course. The Government has signalled its intention to appeal the ruling.
A longer analysis of the ruling and its implications can be read here.
Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B. is a trade and development consultant with a keen interest in sustainable development, international law and trade. You can also read more of her commentaries and follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw.
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