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.
A few further thoughts from me on Northern Ireland and Article 50...
It would be extremely interesting to see if a petition of concern could apply here in Northern Ireland- it's a mechanism of power sharing...
... which enables parties to completely block Assembly from doing certain things. Few other parliaments have anything like it.
It was designed to protect minority communities from damaging majority rule but has been used recently to block marriage equality by DUP
I think most people in NI would acknowledge its not been fit for purpose for a while, but it has remained
Would be interesting if possibility of petition of concern at Stormont blocking Brexit would finally 'inspire' Conservatives to address this
Long term could improve things in Northern Ireland, where people are still fighting for marriage equality which is blocked by this mechanism
However, as always in NI, any heavy handed or paternalistic involvement of British govt in local affairs will be extremely contentious
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