UK HIGH COURT JUDGES DROP BOMBSHELL ON BROWN: 'British High Court
Judges Rebuke Government Over Lisbon Treaty' - 'High Court Asks
Government To Delay Ratification Of EU Treaty' - 'EU Treaty Not
Ratified Without Court Ruling: Britain' -'Gordon Brown: High Court
Judge's Calls For EU Lisbon Treaty Ratification Delay Makes No
Difference'
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British High Court Judges Rebuke Government Over Lisbon Treaty
Deutsche Presse-Agentur,
via MonstersandCritics.Com,
Jun 20, 2008, 12:49 GMT
London - British High Court judges Friday rebuked the government for
pressing ahead with the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty while their
decision on a legal bid to hold a referendum in Britain was still
pending.
The two judges said they were 'very surprised' to receive a letter
from the government Thursday advising that it was pressing ahead with
ratification.
Their verdict on a case brought by a eurosceptic millionaire is due
next week.
However, the parliamentary process enabling Britain to go ahead with
ratification was completed Wednesday when the House of Lords approved
the necessary legislation.
A last-minute attempt by Conservatives in the House of Lords to force
a four-month delay in the ratification process following Ireland's
rejection of the treaty was defeated.
The High Court challenge over whether or not Britain should hold a
referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was brought last week by Stuart
Wheeler, a spread-betting millionaire and major donor to the
opposition Conservative Party.
Wheeler argues that the treaty cannot be ratified without a
referendum, but the British government insists that the new amended
treaty is sufficiently different from the earlier EU Constitution not
to warrant a public vote.
'The court is very surprised that the government apparently proposes
to ratify while the claimant's challenge to the decision not to hold a
referendum on ratification is before the court. The court expects
judgment to be handed down next week. The defendants are invited to
stay their hand voluntarily until judgment,' Judge Stephen Richards
said in in a direction published Friday.
Analysts said the judge's remarks were likely to be meant as a
reminder of the independence of the judiciary rather than giving an
indication of how the ruling would go.
Source:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/uk/news/article_1412446.php/British_High_Court_judges_rebuke_government_over_Lisbon_Treaty
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High Court Asks Government To Delay Ratification Of EU Treaty
by Jenny Percival and agencies,
The Guardian, UK,F
Friday June 20, 2008
A high court judge today called on the government to delay British
ratification of the EU's Lisbon treaty until he delivered his ruling
on a legal bid to force a referendum.
Lord Justice Richards said he was "very surprised" to receive a letter
from lawyers for the government yesterday saying that they were
pressing ahead with ratification.
Together with Mr Justice Mackay, the judge is hearing a case brought
by Stuart Wheeler, the Eurosceptic millionaire, who has sought
judicial review of the decision to ratify the treaty without a
referendum.
A ruling on the case is expected next week.
After the EU (Amendment) Act gained royal assent yesterday, lawyers
for the Treasury wrote to the high court to say: "The government is
now proceeding to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon."
In a direction released today, Richards said: "The court is very
surprised that the government apparently proposes to ratify while the
claimant's challenge to the decision not to hold a referendum on
ratification is before the court.
"The court expects judgment to be handed down next week. The
defendants are invited to stay their hand voluntarily until
judgment."
Wheeler argues that he had a "legitimate expectation" there would be a
public vote after one was promised by Labour on the constitutional
treaty, the forerunner of the Lisbon treaty, which many argue is
practically the same thing.
The final stage of the ratification process, when the government
deposits the articles of ratification in Rome, is likely to happen
next month.
The treaty will not come into force until all 27 EU member countries
have done the same.
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/20/eu.foreignpolicy1?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
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EU Treaty Not Ratified Without Court Ruling: Britain
AFP,
via Yahoo News,
20 June, 2008.
BRUSSELS (AFP) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday that
Britain could not definitively ratify the EU's Lisbon Treaty until a
court has ruled on the validity of the move following a legal
challenge.
"Ratification will not take place of course until we have the
judgment" of the court, Brown told journalists on the sidelines of an
EU summit in Brussels focused on the treaty.
Earlier a judge at London's High Court called on the British
government to delay its ratification of the EU's Lisbon Treaty until
he rules on a legal bid to force a referendum.
The Lisbon Treaty bill was given royal assent on Thursday after being
approved by parliament. The absolute final step in the ratification
process comes when Britain deposits its "instruments of ratification"
in Rome
Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080620/wl_afp/eutreatybritainreferendumcourtbrown;_ylt=A0WTcWa9qFtIZY0A0CCyFz4D
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Gordon Brown: High Court Judge's Calls For EU Lisbon Treaty
Ratification Delay Makes No Difference
by Glen Oglaza
Political correspondent , Sky News,
Friday June 20, 2008
Gordon Brown says a High Court judge ordering a delay in the
ratification by Britain of the Lisbon Treaty will not make any
difference to the Treaty's progress.
PM: 'Ratification on course'Lord Justice Richards has asked the
Government to delay British ratification of the European Union's
Lisbon Treaty until he delivers his ruling on a legal bid to force a
referendum.
The judge said he was "very surprised" to receive a letter from
lawyers for the Government yesterday saying that they were pressing
ahead with ratification.
Together with Mr Justice Mackay, the judge is hearing a case brought
by eurosceptic millionaire Stuart Wheeler, who has sought judicial
review of the decision to ratify the Treaty without a referendum.
A ruling on the case is expected next week.
Source: http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91211-1319647,00.html?f=rss
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