Johnson’s suspension of Parliament ruled unlawful

LONDON — The British Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson illegally suspended Parliament, dealing him another heavy blow and thrusting the nation’s politics into evendeeper turmoil, barely a month before Britain could leave the European Union.

The court ruled unanimously that the suspension of Parliament until Oct. 14 was void and that lawmakers were therefore still in session and could continue the debate over Brexit that Johnson short-circuited when he asked the queen to suspend, or prorogue, Parliament for five weeks.

The decision delivered a legal and political jolt to Britain, where the courts have historically avoided politics and where, unlike in the United States, there is little precedent for judicial review of government decisions. That record had led political and legal analysts to speculate that the court might decide that it had no authority to rule on the prime minister’s actions, or might arrive at a mixed judgment.

Instead, the judges made a landmark decision to step into the middle of a fierce political clash and deliver a resounding defeat for the prime minister.

Lady Hale, president of the court, speaking for the 11-judge panel that heard the case, said, “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 prime minister’s advice to Her Majesty was unlawful, void and of no effect,” she said. “Parliament has not been prorogued.”

The speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, said the chamber would reconvene Wednesday — nearly three weeks earlier than the schedule Johnson had set.

Showing no sign of being chastened by the ruling, Johnson did not rule out suspending Parliament again, but he did not specify when.

“I strongly disagree with this decision of the Supreme Court,” he told Johnson reporters in New York City, where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly.

“I think the most important thing is that we get on and deliver Brexit on Oct. 31, and clearly the claimants in this case are determined to try to frustrate that,” he added.

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, told party members, “This unelected prime minister should now resign,” to chants of “Johnson out.”

Johnson cut short his New York trip and flew back to London on Tuesday night, after talking by phone with his Cabinet, government officials said.

Before he left New York, Johnson met with U.S. President Donald Trump, who sought too assure him that he’ll win future court battles.

Trump said his administration lost a series of rulings during his first months in office but has since won major cases regarding funding for the border wall and granting asylum.

After the initial losses, Trump said, “We’ve almost run the table ... I’m sure that’s going to happen to you.”