As we flagged up in our post in December, there was a general expectation that the amended EU Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be passed by the UK Parliament without amendment. While...more
Last week, the UK Parliament passed the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill (see our recent publication regarding the key provisions of the Bill). Following Royal Assent, the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act...more
Following the UK General Election on 12 December, the government now has the parliamentary majority it needs to enact its Brexit policy: an orderly exit from the EU on 31 January followed by a transition period until 31...more
The first priority for the new Government, following the General Election on 12 December, is going to be Brexit. Whether to "get it done" for the Conservatives, "get it sorted" by renegotiating and holding a confirmatory vote...more
Just over a week ago, we posted about a potential new deal between the UK and the EU27 that could potentially deliver on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s promise to leave the EU by 31 October 2019....more
The crowd of journalists, functionaries, trade association reps, and political junkies hovering in Brussels for fresh Brexit news grew over the course of the last week following what appeared to be a positive meeting between...more
Earlier this year, we wrote about the state of Brexit negotiations in the United Kingdom, and concluded that “with just over a month to go until Brexit takes effect” it was still “bewilderingly unclear” what form Brexit would...more
For the purposes of the present case, therefore, the relevant limit upon the power to prorogue can be expressed in this way: that a decision to prorogue Parliament (or to advise the monarch to prorogue Parliament) will be...more
Background - The exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union is heading towards another periodic climax with the exit date currently set for 31 October 2019. The U.K. Supreme Court today held that the Prime...more
In the early hours of Sept. 5 the UK government conceded that it will not use delaying tactics in the House of Lords to block the passage of the bill designed to avert a "no deal" Brexit. The bill completed its House of...more
Brexit has been postponed again, until at least 31 October 2019, but with the possibility that it may occur sooner, maybe even within a few weeks....more
The UK Parliament, having for the second time rejected the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated between the UK government and the EU, will vote on it for a third time next week. If it is approved, the UK will ask the EU for a...more
The House of Commons recently rejected the Withdrawal Agreement. While the UK Parliament is still debating how to leave the EU, a hard Brexit remains an option. To prepare for this possibility, the UK, EU Commission and EU27...more
In a series of votes on 29 January, the UK parliament rejected proposals aimed at preventing the UK leaving the EU on 29 March without a Withdrawal Agreement in place. Although there was a narrow majority for a non-binding...more
Non-exit is looking increasingly likely! An impending sense of doom stalks the corridors of Westminster this morning after last night’s historic Government defeat over the EU Withdrawal Agreement....more
With only 72 days remaining until the UK automatically ceases to be a member of the EU, the UK Parliament has emphatically rejected the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration painstakingly negotiated by the UK...more
The Current Status of Brexit - On 29 March 2017 the United Kingdom (UK) gave notice under Article 50 of the Treaty on the European Union that it intended to leave the European Union (EU). The UK’s departure (so-called...more
The Withdrawal Documents - The Agreement and Declaration, while linked together, serve very different purposes. The Agreement is effectively "backward-looking" and intended to address severing the UK's current membership...more