LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson acted lawfully when he ordered the suspension of parliament for five weeks before Brexit, London’s High Court ruled on Friday, but it allowed the legal challenge to be taken to the Supreme Court. Johnson announced at the end of August that he would suspend parliament from mid-September to mid-October, just before Britain is due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31, so the government could announce a new legislative programme.
But the move enraged opponents who accused him of seeking to silence parliament, and prompted campaigner Gina Miller to challenge the order, arguing that the House of Commons should be sitting during such a momentous time in the country’s history.
Miller, who previously defeated the government in court over another Brexit issue two years ago, was backed by former Conservative Prime Minister John Major and some opposition politicians.