Pro-EU Gina’s bid to block Parliament shutdown foiled
ARCH Remainer Gina Miller failed in her latest attempt to thwart Brexit yesterday after judges threw out her challenge to Boris Johnson’s planned suspension of Parliament.
Mrs Miller, who is backed by former premier Sir John Major, had urged the High Court to rule that to prorogue Parliament for five weeks was an “unlawful abuse of power”.
But three top judges today rejected the case, meaning the shutdown, planned for next week, can go ahead.
Lord Justice Burnett said: “We have concluded that, whilst we should grant permission to apply for judicial review, the claim must be dismissed.”
An appeal at the
Supreme Court will be heard on September 17. Mrs Miller said she was “very disappointed with the judgment”.
She said: “Today we stood up for everyone – we stood up for future generations, we stood up for our representative democracy, and tried to stop those who would wreck our constitution.”
“To give up now would be a dereliction of our responsibility to help protect our elected representatives who protect our rights and give each of us a voice.
“It is not right that they should be bullied or shut down. My legal team and I will not give up the fight for democracy.”
The case was brought to court after the Prime Minister announced last month that he wanted to prorogue Parliament for five weeks ahead of a Queen’s Speech on October 14.
Critics argued that his aim was to avoid parliamentary scrutiny and stop MPs passing legislation that would prevent the UK leaving the European Union without a deal on October 31.
But Scotland’s highest court said the move was not a matter of law but of political judgment onWednesday.
A Number 10 spokeswoman said yesterday: “We welcome the court’s decision, and we hope that those seeking to use the judiciary to frustrate the Government take note of it, and of the Court of Session’s ruling earlier this week, and withdraw their cases.”