Johnson on right side of the law over Brexit delay letter - lawyer

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Johnson on right side of the law over Brexit delay letter - lawyer

 

Lord David Pannick arrives at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom hearing on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to prorogue parliament ahead of Brexit, in London, Britain September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on the right side of the law after he reluctantly sent a letter requesting a Brexit delay at his opponents’ behest, a lawyer who has worked on high-profile cases challenging the government said on Monday.

 

Johnson’s defeat in the British parliament on Saturday over the sequencing of the ratification of his deal exposed the prime minister to a law passed by those opposed to a no deal departure, demanding he request a delay until Jan. 31.

Johnson sent the request note as required, but unsigned, and added another signed letter arguing against what he cast as a deeply corrosive delay.

 

EU Council President Donald Tusk has said he has received the request and is consulting on how to react, but critics say Johnson’s letters were “childish tricks”.

 

David Pannick, a barrister who has worked on a challenge to Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament ahead of Brexit and also on a 2016 case demanding that lawmakers had a vote on the Brexit deal, said Johnson had complied with the law.

 

“I think the Prime Minister is on the right side of the law on this occasion. The Benn Act required him to send a letter to the president of the European Council seeking an extension, and that’s what he’s done. The act doesn’t require that he sign the letter,” Pannick said, referring to law asking him to request a delay.

 

“The Benn act has achieved its purpose. The act doesn’t require the prime minister to abandon his political objectives, his political beliefs, that we should leave on the 31st.”

 

Pannick said he had assisted lawmaker Oliver Letwin in drafting the amendment which derailed Johnson’s plans for a vote on his Brexit deal on Saturday.

 

The amendment said that lawmakers would withhold approval for Brexit until legislation to deliver Brexit was in place, meaning parliament had not approved a deal and that a extension had to be requested under the terms of the Benn Act.

 

Scotland’s highest court will sit on Monday to consider whether Johnson has complied with the Benn Act. Anti-Brexit campaigners who brought the case said they wanted the court to delay its ruling to see how negotiations with the EU play out.
 

Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Guy Faulconbridge

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-21

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[melvinmelvin]

 

hmm

BJ as lawmaker rather than lawbreaker . . . will increased support result, HA!

 

[evadgib]

I had this running in the background while reading this article...

 

[Katipo]

And the deal on the table now is worse than the one May put forward which parliament rejected 3 times. The longer this drags on, the weaker the UK's position.

[Scouse123]

 Nigel Farage is an ass.

 

He blabs and blabs about Brexit but he can't deliver anything as he has no power or representation in the House of Commons, he is all hot air and bluster. He does not have the means or capability to do anything except shoot his mouth off.

 

Everything has been done to achieve Brexit but if those in the House of Commons keep blocking it, as it is full of remainers who are not listening to the voters, then the ridiculous stalemate will continue to damage business and the economy.

 

They do not want to pass any Brexit legislation because they don't want to leave.

 

They don't want a General election to let the people decide either as they are terrified that Boris Johnson will get the backing of the British public and return with a large majority.

 

There is no peoples vote, the people voted already in 2016.

 

Every filthy trick in the book has been used to prevent the UK following a democratic path and the will of the majority of the people.

 

 

 

[Scouse123]

8 minutes ago, Katipo said:

And the deal on the table now is worse than the one May put forward which parliament rejected 3 times. The longer this drags on, the weaker the UK's position.

 

How so?

[Chomper Higgot]

He might have been on the right side of the law sending an unsigned letter, but he’s on the wrong side of common decency and he lost the vote.

[Scouse123]

Well,

 

ON Sunday my son had a bet on the United-Liverpool game, he picked Utd to win 2-1, Rashford and Mané to score at anytime, teams to be drawing after 60 mins- this gave odds of 200/1 so he thought it would be worth a couple of quid.

 

Anyway, the final result was 1-1, with Lallana scoring for Liverpool in the 85th minute (United winning 1-0 until that point) and Mané's goal didn't stand after a VAR check.

 

Following this result I really can sympathize with those of you that voted Remain.

 

My son will be writing to both clubs to demand the fixture be replayed until the 'right result' is achieved, as he didn't have enough information to make an informed bet, and a lot of things have come to light in the past 24 hours that he wasn't aware of at the time of betting.

 

If he had been aware that some players were rested, injured etc or that Jurgen Klopp would change the formation of Liverpool for the second half, without telling United in advance, he would have bet differently.

 

Anyone that disagrees with this is of course, is an old-aged fool, rich, and/or racist bigot that doesn't understand football.

[JonnyF]

2 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 Nigel Farage is an ass.

 

He blabs and blabs about Brexit but he can't deliver anything as he has no power or representation in the House of Commons, he is all hot air and bluster. He does not have the means or capability to do anything except shoot his mouth off.

 

Everything has been done to achieve Brexit but if those in the House of Commons keep blocking it, as it is full of remainers who are not listening to the voters, then the ridiculous stalemate will continue to damage business and the economy.

 

They do not want to pass any Brexit legislation because they don't want to leave.

 

They don't want a General election to let the people decide either as they are terrified that Boris Johnson will get the backing of the British public and return with a large majority.

 

There is no peoples vote, the people voted already in 2016.

 

Every filthy trick in the book has been used to prevent the UK following a democratic path and the will of the majority of the people.

 

 

 

I agree with your views on the disgraceful behaviour of Remain MP's trying to thwart Democracy. Very well said.

 

However, I disagree about Farage having no power. The power he exerted through UKIP and now The Brexit Party has directly led to policy changes in the government of that time. There's no way the Tories would be so hard line re. Brexit if they didn't have The Brexit Party breathing down their necks.

 

Also, his presence in the European Parliament has certainly made a lot of Europhiles very uncomfortable. If the EU extend again despite Johnson's request not to, I'm hoping he is made the UK's EU Commissioner. That would be hilarious.

[natway09]

Had the chicken farm accepted May's deal the UK would be 5 months into it's recovery now

[evadgib]

5 hours ago, evadgib said:

I posted it yesterday. If anyone seriously expects links to authenticate such clips they're welcome to fill their boots...

Here's todays...

Furthermore moves are afoot to launch a private prosecution against Bercow among others for malfeasance in public office; indeed the parliamentary committee for the constitution are discussing Bercow as I type this post.

 

Thanks again to all the online recruiting sergeants for their help in keeping this in the public eye ????  

[puipuitom]

Never the whatever clever lawyer, but the Judge decides, if someting is according the law.

[beautifulthailand99]

On 10/21/2019 at 11:48 AM, evadgib said:

I had this running in the background while reading this article...

 

Good work Mr Evadgib - as I spoke and shook many Brexit Party member's hands at the People's Vote rally on Saturday I said keep up the good work and keep eating away at the Tory vote. I want / need a strong Brexit Party at the next GE. You are doing far more damage to the Conservatives than Labour particularly in Labour leave areas where it would be critical for the Tories to advance. I thank and salute you. 

[beautifulthailand99]

8 hours ago, evadgib said:

Here's todays...

Furthermore moves are afoot to launch a private prosecution against Bercow among others for malfeasance in public office; indeed the parliamentary committee for the constitution are discussing Bercow as I type this post.

 

Thanks again to all the online recruiting sergeants for their help in keeping this in the public eye ????  

I can be confident that this will fail at an early stage. 

 

But this is far more worrying and hasn't yet been been concluded. It is almost Thai style corruption from a British PM. BTW have you gone over from Tilbrook to Farage now ?

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/16/police-watchdog-asks-johnson-arcuri-inquiries-to-hold-back

[Billthekiwi]

On 10/22/2019 at 9:39 AM, Scouse123 said:

 Nigel Farage is an ass.

 

He blabs and blabs about Brexit but he can't deliver anything as he has no power or representation in the House of Commons, he is all hot air and bluster. He does not have the means or capability to do anything except shoot his mouth off.

 

Everything has been done to achieve Brexit but if those in the House of Commons keep blocking it, as it is full of remainers who are not listening to the voters, then the ridiculous stalemate will continue to damage business and the economy.

 

They do not want to pass any Brexit legislation because they don't want to leave.

 

They don't want a General election to let the people decide either as they are terrified that Boris Johnson will get the backing of the British public and return with a large majority.

 

There is no peoples vote, the people voted already in 2016.

 

Every filthy trick in the book has been used to prevent the UK following a democratic path and the will of the majority of the people.

 

 

 

Eventually the Queen will have to intervene and dissolve parliament.

 

If she is firmly of the belief that the parliament is acting against the will of her people.

 

It may mean however that she will then have to pass over the crown to Prince Charles. Not that I mind Charles at all.

 

It could be a bad end to a great reign if this p*ss poor parliament continues to resist the people and they make her act for her people.

 

If they had any honour at all they would allow the people to vote in a general election.

But being craven caricatures of real men they are too afraid to be judged as lacking.

 

The sooner that Britain leaves the EU the better.

[evadgib]

7 minutes ago, Billthekiwi said:

Eventually the Queen will have to intervene and dissolve parliament.

 

If she is firmly of the belief that the parliament is acting against the will of her people.

 

It may mean however that she will then have to pass over the crown to Prince Charles. Not that I mind Charles at all.

 

It could be a bad end to a great reign if this p*ss poor parliament continues to resist the people and they make her act for her people.

 

If they had any honour at all they would allow the people to vote in a general election.

But being craven caricatures of real men they are too afraid to be judged as lacking.

 

The sooner that Britain leaves the EU the better.

TBH I half expected HM to do just that last week.

[Billthekiwi]

With the speaker in parliament involving himself in politics I have to wonder if parliment has staged a coup against the Queen and the people.

 

No longer is the government in control but parliment itself.

It seems a bad year for democracy in the UK.

[metisdead]

Troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

[Baerboxer]

8 hours ago, Billthekiwi said:

With the speaker in parliament involving himself in politics I have to wonder if parliment has staged a coup against the Queen and the people.

 

No longer is the government in control but parliment itself.

It seems a bad year for democracy in the UK.

 

Your lack of knowledge of the UK Constitution, parliamentary process, it's representative democracy with parliament as the sovereign body, and role of HM in it's constitutional monarchy is staggering.

 

Governments are always accountable to parliament because parliament, not a government, is the sovereign body. And governments, and their officers, are most certainly not above the law.

 

Sadly, your seemingly vast lack of knowledge is mirrored by large numbers of the electorate.