In a hugely important constitutional and political decision, the English High Court has today ruled against the UK Government, declaring that the Government cannot trigger the process of leaving the European Union without the consent of Parliament.

The UK Government has indicated that it intends to appeal directly to the Supreme Court, and an expedited appeal is likely to be heard in early December.

The decision is also of great practical significance as it has the potential to delay the timetable for the UK’s exit from the EU. This in turn may have a material impact on the approach that commercial parties take to their Brexit contingency planning.