UK can change ‘mind’ on Brexit
■ AG Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona told the European Court of Justice that a decision by the UK to change its mind on invoking Article 50 will be legally valid
London, Dec. 4: A top official at the European Union’s highest court advised om Tuesday that Britain can unilaterally change its mind about leaving the EU.
Advocate General Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona told the European Court of Justice that a decision by the British government to change its mind about invoking Article 50 would be legally valid. The advice of the advocate general is often, but not always, followed by the full court.
The court is assessing the issue under an accelerated procedure, since Britain is due to leave the bloc on March 29. The final verdict is expected within weeks.
Since Article 50 of the EU treaty of Lisbon dealing with departing members is scant on details — largely because the idea of any country leaving the bloc was considered unlikely — a group of Scottish legislators wants to know whether the UK can pull out of the withdrawal procedure on its own.
In a much-anticipated opinion, the advocate general said that Article 50 “allows the unilateral revocation of the notification of the intention to withdraw from the EU.”
The advice gives British advocates of staying in the EU hope that the 2016 decision to leave can still be overturned.
“That puts the decision about our future back into the hands of our own elected representatives — where it belongs,” said Jo Maugham, one of the lawyers who brought the case.
The EU Commission and Council are against a unilateral revocation of a decision to leave and have called for additional unanimous agreement of the remaining members.
The case comes as pressure builds from Brexit opponents for a second referendum on the decision to leave.