The Supreme Court has ruled that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks was unlawful. In a unanimous judgment, the 11 justices said the prorogation had the effect of frustrating Parliament's ability to carry out its constitutional duties without reasonable justification.
Mr Johnson, who is in New York, said he 'profoundly disagreed' with the ruling but would respect it. A government source confirmed the Prime Minister spoke to the Queen after the decision, though details of the conversation were not disclosed. Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg reportedly described the ruling as a 'constitutional coup' during a cabinet call.
Lady Hale, the Supreme Court president, emphasised that the case was not about Brexit but about the legality of the suspension. She declared the prorogation 'null and of no effect', meaning Parliament had effectively never been suspended. Speaker of the Commons John Bercow confirmed MPs would return on Wednesday at 11:30 BST, with urgent questions and ministerial statements but no Prime Minister's Questions.
The Labour Party conference in Brighton was cut short, with leader Jeremy Corbyn bringing forward his speech to return to Westminster. The ruling does not prevent Mr Johnson from proroguing again for a Queen's Speech, provided it does not obstruct Parliament 'without reasonable justification'.
Mr Johnson insisted he wanted to outline his domestic agenda in a Queen's Speech on 14 October, but critics argued the five-week suspension was aimed at limiting scrutiny of his Brexit plans. The Prime Minister said the UK would still leave the EU on 31 October, despite the court's decision.
