Article 50 Final Judgment

After weeks of waiting over Christmas and the New Year at 9.30am this morning the Supreme Court will announce the final judgment on the process which must be followed in order to carry out the wishes of voters in leaving the European Union. The government have argued they have the Power under the Royal Prerogative which is vested in Ministers to serve a notice under Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty giving the European Union two years notice of our intention to leave. The applicants to the Courts argue that because there is an Act of Parliament The European Communities Act 1972 which gives supremacy to European legislation over UK laws then Parliament must decide to trigger Article 50. The High Court decided in favour of the applicants and in a sign of the great constitutional importance of this case for the first time all eleven Judges of the Supreme Court sat together to hear the case. My impression is that the Court will uphold the High Court’s decision. This will mean a new Bill being introduced into the House of Commons authorising the government to serve the Article 50 notice. I expect the government will act quickly and I anticipate there will be action very soon perhaps even starting as early as a Statement today.