Attorney GeneralJeremy Wright (2nd R) arrives at the British Supreme Court inLondon, Britain, Jan. 24, 2017. The British Supreme Court onTuesday ruled on that Prime Minister Theresa May must consultParliament before triggering formal negotiations on Britain leavingthe European Union. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
LONDON, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The British Prime Minister Theresa May can't trigger Britain's exit from the European Union without first getting the approval of the British Parliament, according to a Supreme Court ruling on Monday.
Judges in the Supreme Court in London ruled by a margin of eight to three in favor of a group of individuals who challenged the government's insistence that it could trigger the article 50 process to leave the EU.
It means MPs (members of the Parliament) will now be given a vote on a parliamentary bill before the process can start.
May was given 15 minutes advance notice of the decision before the president of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger.
Immediately after the case, the government's attorney general Jeremy Wright said although the government accepted the decision, it was disappointed by the ruling.
"We have the good fortune to live in a country where everyone, even government, is subject to the rule of law. So we will comply with the judgement," he said. "The government will comply and so all that is necessary to implement the decision."
Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, David Davis, will make a full statement later Tuesday in the House of Commons.
May and her advisers were locked in discussions at Number 10 to decide on their next steps.
An official spokeswoman for May said the government intended to press on with its intention to trigger article 50 by the end of March.
It is now widely accepted that the government will introduce a very short bill into the parliamentary process within days to seek approval to start the process.
A number of MPs have already indicated they will vote against the process in the House of Commons. The group of Scottish Nationalist Party MPs and a group of MPs from the main opposition Labor Party have already indicated they will oppose triggering article 50.
In the judgement Neuberger made it clear the court was not deciding on whether Britain should leave the EU, or what the timetable should be for the exit.
"The main issue is whether the government can trigger Article 50 without prior approval from an Act of Parliament. The government cannot exercise that power if it would change UK laws unless it is authorized to do so by Parliament," said the judgement.
The court also decided unanimously that government ministers are not legally compelled to consult the devolved parliaments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Investment fund manager Gina Miller, who brought the case against the government, welcomed the decision outside the court.
"No prime minister, no government can expect to be unanswerable or unchallenged -- Parliament alone is sovereign. There's no doubt that Brexit is the most divisive issue of a generation but this case was about the legal process and not politics," she said.
