Brexit legal challenge live: MPs don't actually want to vote on Article 50, government lawyer claims
The appeal against MPs voting on Article 50 is now in its second day
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Your support makes all the difference.Here are the latest updates:
- Theresa May performs U-turn and now will reveal Brexit plans before Article 50 vote
- Government rejected an opportunity to make EU referendum legally binding, lawyer claims
- MPs don't actually want to vote on Article 50, government lawyer claims
- Judges accuse the Government's lawyer of contradicting himself "twice in five minutes"
- Amber Rudd reveals EU citizens living in Britain will need identity cards after Brexit
- EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier says Brexit deal could be reached by October 2018
Please wait a moment for the live blog to load:
The Supreme Court is today hearing the second day of arguments in the Brexit legal challenge.
11 of the most senior judges in the UK are hearing the government's appeal to a High Court ruling that Theresa May must let MPs vote on whether to trigger Article 50.
Yesterday, the court heard from government lawyer James Eadie QC and Attorney General Jeremy Wright. The lawyers argued the Prime Minister has authority to trigger the mechanism and begin EU withdrawal processes.
However, the judges questioned why more details haven't been provided about what will be in the Great Repeal Bill, the legislation through which the government intends to legislate for life outside the EU.
The judges also said serious threats have been made to claimants in the case and warned they must be stopped.
The case is expected to last four days in total, ending on Thursday.
Chambers is suggesting entering EU was, while the exact opposite, clearest example we have of what to do now for Brexit (just in reverse)
This morning Supreme Court exploring the legal impact of the Commons motion. This afternoon Commons debate referred to legal impact of Court
Chambers compares UK system to Republic of Ireland, which has provisions for referendums in its constitution e.g 2015 same sex marriage vote
"The only point for this court is whether the referendum has any legal effect, and our position is it has no legal effect- consistent with..
...the wording of the [EU referendum] Act and the position of the law at that time"
Chambers draws court's attention to 2011 AV referendum- the ill fated attempt by Lib Dems in early coalition days to reform voting system
Government could still win this appeal. But if i were still a government lawyer I would be telling government to brace itself for losing.
Judge "A referendum is the people speaking to politicians- instructing them. That's one way of looking at it"
Judge Carnwarth asks if a motion in Parliament would be enough alone to trigger Article 50?
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