Judge to rule on legal bid to stop suspension of Westminster
A legal bid seeking to prevent Prime Minister Boris Johnson from suspending Parliament will be decided today.
A cross-party group of 75 politicians, including Scottish MPS Joanna Cherry, Ian Murray and Jo Swinson, support the action which began at the Court of Session in Edinburgh yesterday. They are seeking an interim interdict to stop the Prime Minister implementing the Westminster shutdown.
The group had started legal action earlier in the summer filing a petition aiming to stop Mr Johnson being able to prorogue Parliament. It is still due to be heard next Friday, but was overtaken by events when on Wednesday the Queen approved Mr Johnson’s request to suspend the House of Commons.
Mr Johnson’s action, which would see the Commons close for five weeks from September 10 has been branded by opposition MPS as a “constitutional outrage” and a “dark day for democracy”.
Anti-brexit campaigner Gina Miller has also made an urgent application for a judicial review of the prorogation at the High Court in London while at Belfast High Court, campaigner Raymond Mccord also launched a legal bid to issue an injunction.
Yesterday Aidan O’neill QC, representing the petitioners at the Court of Session, said the prorogation was “unprecedented” and the petitioners are invoking the court’s “constitutional jurisdiction.”
He said: “Prorogation is being used to create something which is irreversible, that the UK will be made to leave the EU deal or no deal, do or die, and Parliament is being prevented by abuse of the power of prorogation from doing anything about it. There are no precedents for the abuse of prorogation.
“The power of prorogation is not one which is unlimited or unfettered but has to be used in accordance with public trust.”
Arguing for the UK government, Roddy Dunlop QC said the issue was an exercise the Queen alone could enter into, “was not a matter for the courts”.
Lord Doherty is due to rule today.