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WORLD NEWS Thursday 24 November 2022

U.K. top court rules against Scottish independence vote plan

By JILL LAWLESS liament. During Supreme
Associated Press Court hearings last month,
LONDON (AP) — The U.K. Dorothy Bain, the Scottish
Supreme Court ruled government’s top law of-
Wednesday that Scotland ficer, said the majority of
does not have the power Scottish lawmakers had
to hold a new referendum been elected on commit-
on independence without ments to hold a fresh in-
the consent of the British dependence referendum.
government. The judgment She also said a referendum
is a setback for the Scottish would be advisory, rather
government’s campaign than legally binding —
to break away from the though a “yes” vote would
United Kingdom. create strong momentum
Scottish First Minister Nicola for Scotland to break away.
Sturgeon said she would SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon issues U.K. government lawyer
respect the ruling but con- a statement at the Apex Grassmarket Hotel in Edinburgh, James Eadie argued that
tinue the fight for inde- Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. power to hold a referen-
pendence, saying Scot- Associated Press dum rests with the U.K. Par-
land’s “democratic right ment argued their cases at pendence government in liament in London, because
to choose our own future” hearings in London. Edinburgh wants to revisit “it’s of critical importance
was at stake. The semi-autonomous the decision, though, argu- to the United Kingdom as
The top court ruled that the Scottish government wants ing that Britain’s departure a whole,” not just Scotland.
Scottish Parliament “does to hold a referendum next from the European Union The Supreme Court justices
not have the power to leg- October with the question which a majority of Scottish agreed. They said it is clear
islate for a referendum on “Should Scotland be an in- voters opposed has radi- that “a Bill which makes
Scottish independence.” dependent country?” cally changed the political provision for a referendum
Supreme Court President The U.K. government in and economic landscape. on independence – on
Robert Reed said the five London refuses to ap- Sturgeon argues that she ending the sovereignty of
justices were unanimous prove a vote, saying the has a democratic man- the Parliament of the Unit-
in the verdict, delivered six question was settled in a date from the Scottish peo- ed Kingdom over Scotland
weeks after lawyers for the 2014 referendum that saw ple to hold a new secession — has more than a loose or
pro-independence Scot- Scottish voters reject inde- vote because there is an consequential connection
tish administration and the pendence by a margin of independence-supporting with the sovereignty of that
Conservative U.K. govern- 55% to 45%. The pro-inde- majority in the Scottish Par- Parliament.” q

Rights group: Israel demolishes school in West Bank hamlet

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Is- the Palestinian territories. occupied West Bank, said it In its ruling in May, the Su-
raeli military demolished B’Tselem, the rights group, demolished a building built preme Court sided with the
a school in the occupied said schoolchildren were illegally in an area desig- state and said the villagers
West Bank on Wednesday, inside the classrooms as sol- nated as a closed firing had rejected a compro-
an Israeli rights group said, diers arrived ahead of the zone. mise that would have al-
following a court ruling ear- demolition. Video provided Israel’s Supreme Court in lowed them to enter the
lier this year that upheld a by the group showed a May ruled against the fami- area at certain times and
long-standing expulsion or- bulldozer tearing down the lies in the area, known as practice agriculture for
der against eight Palestin- one-floor structure as sol- Masafer Yatta, paving the part of the year.
ian hamlets in the area. diers stood guard nearby. way for the potential dis- The families say they have
The move follows on a year COGAT, the Israeli military placement of at least 1,000 been there for decades,
of deadly violence and ris- body responsible for ad- people. Rights groups say from long before Israel
ing tensions in Israel and ministrative affairs in the Israel has been carrying out captured the West Bank in
a gradual demolition of the the 1967 Mideast war. They
structures in the area since practice a traditional form
the ruling, with the school of desert agriculture and
the latest to be torn down. animal herding, with some
The military declared the living in caves at least part
area a firing and training of the year, but say their
zone in the early 1980s. Is- only homes in the hard-
raeli authorities have ar- scrabble communities are
gued that the residents only now at risk of demolition.
used the area for seasonal The West Bank has been
agriculture and had no under Israeli military rule for
permanent structures there 55 years. Masafer Yatta is
at the time. In November in the 60% of the territory
1999, security forces ex- where the Palestinian Au-
pelled some 700 villagers thority is prohibited from
and destroyed homes and operating. The Palestinians
Palestinians stand on the remains of a school after it was
demolished by the Israeli military, in the occupied West Bank cisterns, according to rights want the West Bank to form
village of Masafer Yatta, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. groups. The legal battle be- the main part of their future
Associated Press gan the following year. state.q