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
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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.
So the question is whether Good Friday Agreement trumps EU referendum in essence, as it outlines relationships with Republic (an EU country)
and was not only a referendum, but one which was lodged with the UN as a treaty, potentially elevating it above the EU referendum
Larkin is representing the central Government's position and arguing MPs shouldn't get a vote on Article 50
Larkin says consent elements of Good Friday Agreement relate to Northern Ireland's place in the UK, not the EU
Says Good Friday Agreement "is a political agreement, not an international agreement"
I'd respectfully suggest that is demonstrably not the case as the Republic of Ireland also held a referendum on it and it was lodged with UN
Unless Larkin is trying to diminish distinction between Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland to win the case, which would be controversial
"No provision in the Northern Ireland Act... limits the powers of the [central British] government in international affairs" Larkin says
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