Lawyers Ask U.K. Lord Chancellor to Condemn Judiciary Backlash

(Bloomberg) -- A lawyers' group has called on U.K. Lord Chancellor Liz Truss to publicly back a judicial ruling that the prime minister needs Parliament's permission to begin Brexit negotiations, a decision which sparked outrage in the press.

The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, “condemns” attacks on the ruling judges following their decision earlier this week, it said in a statement on its website Saturday. The association called on Truss to make a public statement of support as a “matter of urgency.”

While lawmakers didn't call into question the decision to leave the European Union, the legal decision injects further uncertainty into an already opaque process and may require Prime Minister Theresa May to dilute her plans in order to win the backing of lawmakers. A vote in both the House of Commons and House of Lords would slow down and may complicate the exit process.

“A strong independent judiciary is essential to a functioning democracy and to upholding the rule of law,” the council said.

After the decision, the Daily Mail branded the three judges “Enemies of the People,” while the Sun's front page demanded: “Who Do EU Think You Are?” The Daily Telegraph's headline read “The judges versus the people” above a column by U.K. Independence Party interim leader Nigel Farage, who said “a great betrayal is underway.”

To read why Britain may have two more years of voting ahead, click here.

The ruling will be reviewed by the Supreme Court in December.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rachel Morison in London at rmorison@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Lars Paulsson at lpaulsson@bloomberg.net, Nicholas Larkin, Steve Geimann