This archive report was first published on 24 September 2019.
On September 24, 2019, the British Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision, ruling that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament was unlawful.
The court's unanimous decision declared that the suspension of Parliament until October 14 was void, and that lawmakers were still in session and could continue debating Brexit.
Speaking for the 11-judge panel, Lady Hale stated, 'The decision to advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification.'
Following the ruling, the speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, announced that the chamber would reconvene on Wednesday, nearly three weeks earlier than the schedule set by Mr. Johnson.
Despite the ruling, Mr. Johnson expressed disagreement, stating, 'I strongly disagree with this decision of the Supreme Court.'
Mr. Johnson has suffered a series of legal and political defeats since becoming prime minister in July, including losing in a succession of Parliamentary votes, losing his majority in the House of Commons, and losing the support of some members of his Conservative Party.
