U.K. Citizen Files First Suit to Force Brexit Vote in Parliament
(Bloomberg) -- A U.K. man filed a lawsuit seeking to force Parliament to vote to leave the European Union, marking the first attempt to slow Brexit through the courts.
The bid for a judicial review contends that the prime minister alone doesn't have the power to trigger Article 50, which starts the two-year process to leave the EU, said Dominic Chambers, the lawyer who filed the case. Judge Ross Cranston will hold a hearing July 19 to set a timetable for the case.
“The purpose of a judicial review is to correct the executive when they have gone wrong,” Chambers said Friday. “We say the executive will be abusing their powers if they give an Article 50 notification without the approval of parliament.”
British voters chose to leave the EU in a June 23 referendum that rocked markets, plunged the main political parties into turmoil and led to the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron. It's not yet clear how and when the government will trigger Article 50 and start the timeline to Britain's exit.
A spokesman for Cameron declined to immediately comment on the lawsuit. Chambers said he represents Deir Dos Santos, a U.K. hairdresser.
QuickTake Q&A: How U.K. and Europe Might Relate After Breakup
While Chambers was the first to file a Brexit-related case, he may not be the last. Mishcon de Reya, a top London law firm, said July 4 that it's representing a group of unidentified clients threatening legal action.
Mishcon de Reya said in a statement earlier this week that the Article 50 process can only begin with parliament's consent.
“Whether the Prime Minister has the authority to notify or whether that authority lies with parliament is quintessentially a legal question and ultimately for an authoritative ruling you can only look to the courts,” said Jeff King, a professor of law at University College London. “It is a legal question and it's one that the momentous times that we're in are calling for” to be answered.
To contact the reporter on this story: Patrick Gower in London at pgower@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net, Christopher Elser
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