Court rejects bid to block parliament suspension

HELSINKI — The first legal challenge to prevent British Prime Minister Boris Johnson from suspending Parliament has failed in a Scottish court.

The Court of Session in Edinburgh refused Friday to take legal action to prevent Johnson from suspending Parliament for several weeks during part of the period ahead of the Brexit deadline on Oct 31.

The decision in Scotland's highest civil court is a setback for a cross-party group of legislators seeking to broaden the period for parliamentary debate in a bid to prevent a disorderly departure from the European Union by Britain.

Two other legal cases are still in progress. One is in Northern Ireland and the other is in London. Former Prime Minister John Major is seeking to join the case in London to argue against suspension.

Former British Prime Minister John Major says he will seek the court's permission to join a legal battle to prevent the government from suspending Parliament ahead of the Brexit deadline.

Major said Friday he seeks legal permission to join a case already brought by activist Gina Miller that is designed to prevent Prime Minister Boris Johnson from suspending Parliament for a number of weeks.

Major said: "If granted permission to intervene, I intend to seek to assist the court from the perspective of having served in Government as a minister and prime minister, and also in Parliament for many years as a Member of the House of Commons."

Major is an outspoken critic of Brexit who had vowed to intervene legally if Johnson sought to prevent parliamentary debate on the issue.

AP