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Judge rules Johnson’s suspension of UK parliament lawful
EDINBURGH, Sept 4, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A British judge on Wednesday ruled in
favour of Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament in a move that will
provide some respite for the beleaguered prime minister.
Judge Raymond Doherty at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland’s
highest court, rejected a legal challenge by Johnson’s opponents — one of
three before the courts.
“This is political territory and decision-making, which cannot be measured
by legal standards, but only by political judgements,” Doherty said in his
ruling.
“I do not accept the submission that the prorogation contravenes the rule
of law,” the judge said.
Joanna Cherry, an MP for the Scottish National Party (SNP), who was one of
the people behind the challenge, said the judge had ruled that the court
could not pronounce itself on the exercise of government’s power to suspend
parliament.
“Seems we have lost,” she tweeted.
Lawyer Jolyon Maugham, who also supported the challenge, said: “The idea
that if the PM suspends parliament the court can’t get involved looses some
ugly demons.
“If he can do it for 34 days why not 34 weeks or 34 months? Where does this
political power end?” he wrote.
Johnson’s decision last week to drastically reduce the number of days
parliament can sit before the current date of Brexit on October 31 caused
widespread outrage.
The decision was seen as a move to curb opposition attempts to block his
Brexit strategy and bring down his government.
A separate legal challenge supported by former prime minister John Major is
due to be heard in court in London on Thursday.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1616 hrs