Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 25 september 2019
Top UK court: Johnson's suspension of Parliament was illegal

By GREGORY KATZ courthouse steps moments
MIKE CORDER after the verdict came in
JILL LAWLESS when Scottish National Par-
Associated Press ty lawmaker Joanna Cher-
LONDON (AP) — In a deci- ry, one of the legislators
sion that badly undermines who had brought the legal
Boris Johnson's authority, case against Johnson, said
Britain's highest court ruled he must step down imme-
unanimously Tuesday that diately.
the prime minister broke "His position is untenable,
the law by suspending and he should have the
Parliament in a way that guts for once to do the de-
squelched legitimate scru- cent thing and resign," she
tiny of his Brexit plan. said.
The historic move by Brit- The prime minister remains
ain's Supreme Court of- on a collision course with
fered a ringing endorse- Parliament over his deter-
ment of Parliament's sover- mination to sever Britain
eignty and slapped down from the European Union
what it viewed as Johnson's on Oct. 31 even if no di-
attempt to use executive vorce deal is reached. Par-
power to silence the legis- liament has passed a law
lature. requiring him to seek an ex-
House of Commons Speak- A person dressed as a caricature of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a prison uniform stands tension if there is no deal,
er John Bercow welcomed outside the Supreme Court in London, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019 after it made it's decision on the but Johnson says he will not
the decision, saying citizens legality of Johnson's five-week suspension of Parliament. do that under any circum-
are "entitled" to have Par- Associated Press stances.
liament in session to review nothing had happened. to the ruling but will com- of challenge." He may be tempted to
the government and enact It also established that ply. The ruling could not have defy Parliament, but the
laws. Johnson had involved "I have the upmost respect been clearer. Reading a Supreme Court ruling on
The ruling was not soft on Queen Elizabeth II — one for our judiciary. I don't unanimous decision by the the suspension suggests the
the prime minister. The of the most revered and re- think this was the right deci- 11 highest judges in the courts will not look kindly on
court said Johnson's sus- spected figures in British life sion," Johnson said in New land, Supreme Court Presi- such a tactic.
pension of Parliament — by giving her improper York, where he is attending dent Brenda Hale said the "I suspect we will be sum-
never formally took effect, advice when he sought her the U.N. General Assembly. prime minister had acted moning the prime minister
opening the door for Par- permission to shutter Parlia- The suspension of Parlia- illegally. to Parliament to make a
liament to resume its duties ment for five weeks. ment "has been used for "It is impossible for us to statement," he said. "We
Wednesday morning as if Johnson said he objected centuries without this kind conclude, on the evi- want to hear what legal
dence which has been put advice he was acting on,
before us, that there was why he ended up in court
any reason — let alone a and being ruled in this quite
good reason — to advise extraordinary way."
her majesty to prorogue Labour Party leader Jer-
Parliament for five weeks," emy Corbyn and other
she said. "We cannot spec- opposition leaders from a
ulate, in the absence of fur- wide array of parties called
ther evidence, upon what for Johnson to step down.
such reasons might have Johnson strode to power
been. It follows that the de- in late July after easily win-
cision was unlawful." ning a Conservative Party
The suspension "had the leadership race to suc-
effect of frustrating or pre- ceed Theresa May. He
venting the ability of Parlia- boldly promised Britain
ment to carry out its consti- would leave the European
tutional functions without Union by the Oct. 31 dead-
reasonable justification," line and dominated the
Hale said. news in his first weeks at 10
The judges made clear that Downing Street while Par-
they were criticizing John- liament was on its summer
son, not the queen, who as break.
a constitutional monarch Since then, however, he
was required to approve has suffered a remarkable
his request. string of defeats.
The ruling forced a chas- He lost six consecutive im-
tened Johnson to cut short portant votes in Parliament,
his trip to New York to fly saw his working majority in
home overnight in time for Parliament evaporate, had
Parliament's unexpected his own brother step down
session, where he will un- from a government post
doubtedly face a crescen- in protest and even failed
do of calls to resign after his to get the legislature to
judicial humiliation. back his call for a national
The demands started on the election.q