Supreme Court: Initiation of Britain's Exit Negotiations from the EU Must Be Approved by Parliament

The UK Supreme Court unexpectedly ruled on Thursday that the initiation of negotiations for Britain's exit from the European Union must be approved by Parliament; thus, Brexit may face delays. According to AFP, three senior judges announced on Thursday, November 4, that Theresa May's government cannot unilaterally trigger the exit negotiations from the EU (under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty). According to Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, if a member of the EU wishes to leave, it will automatically exit the EU after two years following a formal request, unless the remaining members decide to extend the exit deadline. Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who came to power without an election after David Cameron's resignation, promised to initiate the exit process by the end of March 2017. However, with the Supreme Court's ruling, the start of this process must be approved by Parliament, where many representatives oppose Brexit. Following the Supreme Court's ruling, the pound, which had been in decline after the Brexit referendum, was traded at $1.24, and its value increased. Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, considered the Supreme Court's decision as an example of uncertainty and instability in the Brexit process. However, EU leaders are calling for Britain to exit the union without delay, as they believe prolonging this process will cause instability within the union. The UK Prime Minister's Office expressed dissatisfaction with the court's decision in a statement, saying, "This country voted to leave the EU in a referendum that was also approved by Parliament. This government is determined to respect the outcome of this referendum." The Prime Minister's Office stated that the government intends to initiate Brexit negotiations by the end of March. It is expected that this court ruling will be referred to the Supreme Court by December. Nigel Farage, the resigning leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), who led the campaign for leaving the EU, warned that if Parliament blocks the referendum, public anger and outrage in Britain should be expected.