The star chamber

Tory Brexiteers will put their legal minds together to scrutinise changes to the Withdrawal Agreement that Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney General, brings back from Brussels to ensure the backstop cannot last indefinitely

Nigel Dodds

DUP Deputy Leader and the party’s Westminster leader graduated with a first-class degree in law from St John’s College, Cambridge, where he won a university scholarship, Mcmahon studentship and Winfield Society prize. After being called to the Bar of Northern Ireland, he worked as a barrister and at the Secretariat of the European Parliament from 1984-96 and entered politics in 1981. The father of two, 60, was twice elected as Lord Mayor of Belfast before becoming MP for Belfast North in 2001.

Robert Courts

The 40-year-old ERG member was a barrister before entering politics in October 2016, winning a by-election in Witney following David Cameron’s resignation. After reading law at the University of Sheffield, he was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 2003 and practised as a barrister at 3PB Chambers before working for the New Zealand government in 2009. He resigned as PPS for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in July 2018 in protest at the Chequers plan.

Dominic Raab

Former Brexit secretary who resigned in protest over Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement. Used to advise on EU law both as a solicitor with Linklaters and at the Foreign Office.

The 44-year-old father of two, who has a karate black belt, read law at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where he won the

Clive Parry

Prize for International

Law. He also gained a master’s in law at Jesus College, Cambridge.

Michael Tomlinson

The former deputy chairman of the ERG graduated from King’s College London with a BA in Classics before studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Law at the College of Law and becoming a barrister at Middle Temple. The 41-year-old cricket enthusiast was awarded the Queen Mother Scholarship and represented Middle Temple in international mooting competitions in the United States and Hong Kong before being elected as the MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole in 2015.

Sir Bill Cash

One of the strongest critics of the EU in the Conservative Party, the chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee’s knowledge of constitutional law has been oft-shared in the Commons during his 35 years in Parliament. The 78-year-old ardent Brexiteer was first elected as an MP in 1984, having qualified as a solicitor in 1967 after gaining an

MA in history from Lincoln College, Oxford.

David Jones

The former Brexit minister and Secretary of State for Wales worked as a solicitor for more than a quarter of a century before being elected as MP for Clwyd West in 2005. Having studied at University College London and Chester College of Law, he qualified as a solicitor in 1976 and was a senior partner of David Jones & Company, a law firm in Llandudno. The 66-yearold father of two worked alongside future Plaid Cymru Welsh Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones and for former Labour MP Sir Elwyn Jones.

Suella Braverman

Former chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) and former parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Brexit department, the 38-year-old MP for Fareham resigned last November to oppose the Brexit deal. The daughter of Kenyan and Mauritian immigrants, she won a scholarship to independent Heathfield School in Pinner. She read law at Queens’ College Cambridge, and practised as a barrister from 2005 to 2015.

Martin Howe QC

Chairman of Lawyers for Britain and the only non-mp of the eight, he is arguably the most prominent Eurosceptic barrister of the group. He was called to the Bar in 1978 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1996, having amassed an immense knowledge of

EU law during his legal career.

As an expert in copyright law, he acted on behalf of the singer Rihanna in establishing a claim of passing off against Topshop for selling T-shirts bearing her image in 2015.