Scotland judge rules Boris Johnson's move to suspend parliament legal
A Scottish Court of Sessions Judge ruled Wednesday Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue Parliament was legal. The decision by Lord Doherty came a day after British lawmakers voted to prevent Johnson from ending negotiations between Britain and the EU without a deal, sparking calls for an election. The petition originated from a group [...]
On Wednesday British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suspended Parliament with permission from Queen Elizabeth II, putting the body into recess until less than three weeks before the October 31 Brexit deadline. Johnson suspended parliament in a process called prorogation wherein the prime minister may request that the current monarch suspend Parliament without dissolving it. A [...]
Caribbean Court of Justice makes landmark rulings against Guyana's government
The President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Honorable Mr. Justice Adrian Saunders, delivered the opinion of the court regarding the no-confidence vote held in the Guyanese Parliament on December 21, 2018, which the court held to be valid under the Constitution of Guyana. The Court’s decision upholds the decision of the Speaker [...]
Scotland government releases independence referendum proposal
The Scottish Government released a framework bill Wednesday that would enable another independence referendum vote. The bill does not establish a date, question, or referendum period, all of which would have to be set in a separate piece of legislation. Scotland last voted on independence from the UK in 2014, when voters rejected the proposal [...]
Scotland appeals judges dismiss challenge to law allowing women to terminate pregnancies at home
Scotland’s Inner House of the Court of Session on Thursday affirmed a lower court’s decision to dismiss a challenge brought against an abortion law that permits women to use abortion pills at home. The suit was brought by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), the largest pro-life group in the UK. The [...]
Oregon’s House of Representatives approved a bill Monday that would ban the use of hydraulic fracturing for the exploration of or production of oil and gas in Oregon. The bill was passed by a vote of 42-12. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the bill would ban fracking until January 2, 2030. [...]
The Court of Justice of the European Union issued a judgment on Monday, saying that the UK can unilaterally revoke its notification of intention to withdraw from the EU. The decision comes in response to a December 2017 petition for judicial review filed by members of the UK parliament, originally in the Court of Sessions, which [...]
Scotland's highest civil court sends Brexit revocation question to EU High Court
The Scottish Court of Session , Scotland’s Supreme Court for civil matters, said Friday that a question of Britain’s ability to revoke the Brexit plan upon its inability to agree posed by anti-Brexit advocates is one for the EU. Article 50 of the Treaty on EU provides the protocol for how a member state may [...]
Spain judge withdraws extradition requests for Catalan independence activists
A judge for Spain’s Supreme Court said Thursday that he has withdrawn rebellion charges for six politicians involved in the Catalan independence referendum nullified and declared unconstitutional in October 2017. Among these six include former president of the Catalan Generalitat Carles Puigdemont. The Spanish Court agreed with terms set out by the Superior Regional Court [...]
Scotland drafts climate change bill with 90 percent emission reduction goal by 2050
Scotland’s government introduced a climate change bill in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday that sets greenhouse gas emissions targets at a 90 percent reduction by 2050. This is currently the “limit of feasibility” set forth by the UK Committee on Climate Change . The eventual goal is a 100 percent reduction, also known as “net-zero [...]
