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Northern Ireland 'could exercise' veto over Brexit, Belfast court hears

Lawyers representing a group of people against Brexit say Northern Ireland could veto withdr...
Newstalk
Newstalk

16.08 4 Oct 2016


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Northern Ireland 'coul...

Northern Ireland 'could exercise' veto over Brexit, Belfast court hears

Newstalk
Newstalk

16.08 4 Oct 2016


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Lawyers representing a group of people against Brexit say Northern Ireland could veto withdrawing from the EU.

A cross-community group of politicians and victims campaigners is challenging British prime minister's Theresa May's ability to trigger Article 50 negotiations on an exit at the High Court in Belfast.

A solicitor at the High Court in Belfast today said it cannot be imposed upon people in the North.

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Ronan Lavery QC, quoted by The Guardian, said: “Sovereignty over constitutional affairs has been ceded [by the UK]. It is not the relationship, as it might once have been, between a dominant partner and a submissive partner.

“The people of Northern Ireland have control over constitutional change - it cannot be imposed upon the people of Northern Ireland. If that means that Northern Ireland could exercise a veto over withdrawal then I am [asserting] that is what Britain signed up to when it signed the Good Friday agreement.”

Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd is supporting the legal action.

He suggested that the referendum would have a "huge impact" on the Good Friday Agreement.

 


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