Brexit Supreme court hearing – timetable, who are the judges and when will a decision be made?
SUPREME Court justices are deliberating over whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks was legal.
But what’s the supreme courts timetable, who are the judges and when will a decision be made?
What is the Brexit court hearing about?
Last week, Scotland’s highest civil court, the Court of Session, ruled that the Prime Minister’s suspension of Parliament was unlawful.
However, London’s High Court previously rejected businesswoman Gina Miller’s case that claimed the shutdown was “an unlawful abuse of power.”
The court case, which started today, will hear two appeals that will determine whether Boris Johnson acted lawfully when he chose to suspend Parliament for five weeks.
Over the next three days, 11 of the Supreme Court justices will hear legal arguments from the English and Scottish court cases.
On Thursday, the court will hear former Prime Minister John Major make his verbal submission.
Timetable: Brexit court case
Day 1, Tuesday September 17
10.30am to 1pm: Miller Appellants
2pm to 4pm: Advocate General for Scotland Appellants from IH in Cherry
Day 2, Wednesday September 18
10.30am to 1pm: UK Government Respondents in Miller
2pm to 4pm: Cherry v AG Respondents
Day 3, Thursday September 19
10.30am to 11am: Oral Intervention by Scottish Government in Cherry/Miller
11am to 11.40am: Oral Intervention by NI Claimant in Cherry/Miller
11.40am to 12.10pm: Oral Intervention by Sir John Major
2pm to 2.30pm: AG for Scotland Appellants reply in Cherry
2.30pm to 3pm: Miller Appellants reply
Who are the judges?
The Brexit court case is being judged by 11 of the most senior justices at Britain’s highest court.
Lady Hale, the President of the Supreme Court, is one of the judges on the case this week.
She is the most senior judge in the UK, and her and 10 colleagues are in charge of coming to a final ruling on whether suspending Parliament was unlawful or not.
Among the other justices on the case are Lord Sales, Lord Kerr, and Lord Hodge.
Lady Arden and Lady Black, along with the President, make up the women justices hearing the Supreme Court case.
The Deputy President of the Supreme Court, Lord Reed, is also among the 11 justices, as well as Lord Kitchin, Lord Lloyd-Jones, Lord Carnwath and Lord Wilson – who are all highly experienced in their field.
When will a decision be made?
The Supreme Court prorogation hearing will go on for three days – so a decision is set to be made this Thursday.
On the first day of the Brexit case, Lord Keen, representing the government, told the court that Boris Johnson would comply with any decision is made.
However, after Lord Pannick, who addressed the court on behalf of Gina Miller, said that the Johnson had abused his power to suspend parliament more than any other PM in the last 50 years.
Boris Johnson has repeatedly claimed that his decision to ‘prorogue’ Parliament was designed simply to clear the way for a new Queen’s Speech and programme of domestic legislation from mid-October – two weeks before the current Brexit deadline.