UK PM urged to resign after court's ruling

Nation's top judges say Boris Johnson acted unlawfully over prorogation

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has absorbed a series of stiff jabs during his two months as leader, but on Tuesday he was rocked by a body blow.

In what many have described as one of the most momentous days in British legal history, the Supreme Court ruled that Johnson's recent move to suspend Parliament was unlawful.

Several of his opponents immediately piled on and demanded his resignation, and Johnson himself said that European Union withdrawal plans have been complicated by the ruling.

Earlier in the month, Johnson had requested that the queen end the parliamentary session, a move known as prorogation, for five weeks starting on Sept 9.

The prime minister said this was standard practice after a lengthy session, but critics claimed the decision was taken to prevent MPs from obstructing Johnson's plans to take the UK out of the EU on Oct 31.

The Supreme Court became involved following challenges brought from two courts, including Edinburgh's Court of Session, which had ruled that the prorogation was unlawful.

On Tuesday, all 11 judges at the Supreme Court concurred.

"It is impossible for us to conclude, on the evidence which has been put before us, that there was any reason — let alone a good reason — to advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament for five weeks," said Justice Lady Brenda Hale, who is president of the Supreme Court. "We cannot speculate, in the absence of further evidence, upon what such reasons might have been. It follows that the decision was unlawful."

Johnson reacted to the news from New York, where he

was attending the United Nations General Assembly. It's understood that he rearranged his schedule so as to arrive in London before Parliament resumes at 11:30 am on Wednesday.

"Obviously, this is a verdict that we will respect," he told reporters. "I don't think it is right but we will go ahead and of course Parliament will come back."

Johnson said that those who brought the claim were trying to "frustrate Brexit".

"There are a lot of people who basically want to stop this country from coming out of the EU," Johnson said. "As the law currently

stands, the UK leaves the EU on Oct 31 come what may."

A reporter questioned Johnson on the latter point, given that Parliament recently passed an act that would prevent the UK from leaving the EU in late October if there is no deal in place.

"The exciting thing for us now is to get a good deal, and that's what we are working on," Johnson said. "It's not made much easier by this kind of stuff in Parliament or in the courts."

Johnson said he wants the queen's speech to go ahead, which would require a fresh prorogation. Given the result of the ruling, a second prorogation would likely last days, instead of weeks.

The judgement is the latest in a series of defeats suffered by the prime minister. Johnson lost six votes in six days of Brexit dealings, during which time he expelled 21 rebel MPs from the Conservative Party, relinquishing the government's majority.

The news of the judgment had Labour Party members buzzing in Brighton, where the party is holding its annual conference this week.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Johnson should resign and demanded that he "obey the law, take no-deal off the table, and have an election".

How things unfold in Parliament from here is — as ever — further complicated by Brexit. If he believes he has enough support, Corbyn may choose to table a motion of no confidence in the prime minister, or there could be another vote to trigger a general election. But some members will be wary of supporting such time-consuming measures without an extension of the Brexit deadline.