The Supreme Court has ruled Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament was an unlawful act.
Towards the end of last month, Boris received permission from the Queen to put a suspension in place just weeks before MPs were due to agree on a Brexit deal on October 31. Now, the Supreme Court has said Boris acted incorrectly for preventing MPs to carry out their duties so close to Brexit negotiations.
The president of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale, announced the verdict reached by eleven judges, saying: “The effect on the fundamentals of our democracy was extreme.”
Lady Hale also added: ”The decision to advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification.”
The ruling by the Supreme Court was welcomed by Commons Speaker John Bercow, saying Parliament “must convene without delay.”
Bercow had previously expressed his concerns of Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament, saying in a statement in August is was “blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop Parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country.”
When he announced the suspension of Parliament in August, Boris stated it was to allow the government to prepare new laws, but this argument was dismissed by the Supreme Court in their ruling.
Parliament is set to resume at 11:30am tomorrow (September 25).