International News

LONDON, (MILLAT+APP/AFP) – Britain’s Supreme Court
will Monday begin hearing the government’s appeal against a
ruling it must obtain parliamentary approval before triggering
Brexit, in a constitutional showdown that has further inflamed
political tensions.
The High Court dramatically ruled last month that Prime
Minister Theresa May’s government did not have the power to
invoke Article 50 of the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty, the
formal procedure for leaving the EU.
The judgement prompted fury amongst Brexit supporters
who fear that lawmakers, who are overwhelmingly in favour of
staying in the EU, may seek to delay or soften Britain’s
withdrawal.
They have warned of a potential “constitutional crisis”
as the judges rule on the limits of executive power.
Following a heated and divisive campaign, Britons voted
by 52 percent to leave the EU in the June 23 referendum.
But the act legislating the vote did not make the
result legally-binding, meaning either the government or
parliament still has to pull the trigger.
In the shadow of the Houses of Parliament, all 11 Supreme
Court judges will on Monday begin four days of appeal hearings,
with a decision due in January.