Boris Johnson’s Suspension of Parliament Was Unlawful, U.K. Supreme Court Rules – The New York Times

LONDON — The British Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson illegally suspended Parliament, dealing him another heavy blow and thrusting the nation’s politics into even deeper turmoil, barely a month before Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union.

The unanimous decision, which upheld a ruling from Scotland’s highest civil court, said that the suspension of Parliament until Oct. 14 is void. That means that the lawmakers are still in session and will continue the debate over Brexit that was short-circuited when Mr. Johnson asked the queen to suspend, or prorogue, Parliament for five weeks.

“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,” said Baroness Hale, the president of the court, speaking for the 11-judge panel that heard the case.

“The prime minister’s advice to Her Majesty was unlawful, void and of no effect,” she said. “Parliament has not been prorogued.”