Britain's high court rules Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament unlawful, 'void, and of no effect'

Britain&#039;s Supreme Court reopened Parliament — (Image credit: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images))

In a historic decision Tuesday, Britain's Supreme Court ruled that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament was unlawful. Johnson said he suspended, or prorogued, Parliament for five weeks ahead of the Brexit deadline to allow a routine Queen's Speech to lay out his policies. The court's 11 justices ruled unanimously that Johnson had acted outside the law, the decision to suspend Parliament is "void and of no effect," meaning Parliament was never prorogued, and the speakers of the House of Commons and House of Lords will have to decide what to do next.

Commons Speaker John Bercow said Parliament "must convene without delay" and he will consult with party leaders "as a matter of urgency."

The suspension "was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification," said Lady Brenda Hale, the court's president. "In this nation without a written constitution, the case marked a rare confrontation between the prime minister, the courts, and Parliament over their rights and responsibilities," The Associated Press reports. Johnson, in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, has not said whether he will resign if the high court ruled against him, or perhaps try to prorogue Parliament again. His office said it is "currently processing the verdict."

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"Wow! This is legal, constitutional, and political dynamite," writes BBC legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman. "The court may have fallen short of saying Boris Johnson had an improper motive of stymieing or frustrating parliamentary scrutiny, but the damage is done, he has been found to have acted unlawfully and stopped Parliament from doing its job without any legal justification. ... Be you ever so mighty, the law is above you — even if you are the prime minister."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.