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
Please wait a moment for the live blog to load:
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.
"This is not a question of reviving [such a power]- it has never existed" Lord Pannick
Says he respects the people have spoken but "It doesn't follow, the people having spoken, that they are advising Govt instead of parliament"
BREAKING- A man has been arrested on suspicion of sending online threats to Gina Miller- claimant in Brexit case independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/…
"Parliament has deliberately chosen a model which does not give any legal binding effect" Lord Pannick on EU referendum act
Says many other referendums which are legally binding have said that specifically in the legislation which initiated them
Judge asks- is the Prime Minister even obliged to enact Brexit because of the referendum, never mind MPs?
"Nobody has produced any material whatsoever to say the 2015 Act intended" to make govt trigger Article 50- Lord Pannick
"It would be wrong for the court to infer, on a matter of this importance and sensitivity, the relationship between legislature & executive"
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