UK Court Delivers Brexit Blow

The British Parliament must vote on whether the UK can begin the process to leave the European Union, the UK’s High Court has ruled. That decision is a blow to new Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan to initiate Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty – which would begin official exit negotiations – as early as this spring. “The most fundamental rule of the U.K.’s constitution is that Parliament is sovereign and can make and unmake any law it chooses,” the three-panel of High Court judges wrote in the ruling. “As an aspect of the sovereignty of Parliament it has been established for hundreds of years that the Crown – i.e. the Government of the day – cannot by exercise of prerogative powers override legislation enacted by Parliament.” The UK government has said it will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. “The people are the ones Parliament represents – 17.4 million of them, the biggest mandate in history, voted for us to leave the European Union,” said Brexit Secretary David Davis. “We are going to deliver on that mandate in the best possible way for the British national interest.”