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British Attorney General prepares for Brexit appeal

The British attorney general will argue that judges who ruled against the Government on Brexit we...
Newstalk
Newstalk

11.35 3 Dec 2016


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British Attorney General prepa...

British Attorney General prepares for Brexit appeal

Newstalk
Newstalk

11.35 3 Dec 2016


Share this article


The British attorney general will argue that judges who ruled against the Government on Brexit were "divorced from the reality" of how modern states operate.

Jeremy Wright, the UK government’s top legal officer is heading to the Supreme Court next week in the latest round of the Brexit battle.

In a statement of the Government's appeal against the judgement, he said the decision risked relegating, “almost to a footnote, the outcome of the referendum."

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Next week's hearing will decide whether Prime Minister Theresa May is entitled to trigger formal divorce proceedings between the UK and European Union under Article 50.

In a rare court appearance, Mr Wright will be arguing that the referendum vote on 23 June - when 17.4 million people backed Brexit - gave the British government the largest mandate in the country’s electoral history.

He will also say that, when the High Court ruled last month that withdrawal from the EU can only be launched by parliament, the court had appeared to have been "divorced from the reality" of how modern states operate.

In setting out the case, Mr Wright said it "cannot be resolved in a vacuum, without regard to the outcome of the referendum."

He warns that, if the High Court decision was upheld, it could threaten the Government's ability to sign treaties, a power that is "vital" to a modern state.

Eleven Supreme Court judges will hear the appeal over four days but no judgement is expected until the New Year.


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