The UK Supreme Court [official website] on Tuesday upheld lower court rulings [press release] that determined citizens who have lived outside of the UK for more than 15 years will not be allowed to vote in the June 23 EU referendum. The statute, the EU Referendum Act 2015 [statute information] was challenged by two citizens that have been living abroad for decades. Harry Shindler, a 94-year-old World War II veteran, and Jacquelyn MacLennan, a 54-year-old lawyer, argued [case details] that the statute infringed on their common law right to free movement. The court, however, refused permission to appeal the lower court decisions. Lady Hale, Deputy President of the Supreme Court, recognized the deep “concerns” these citizens have over this issue, but she also stated that the court could not find a sufficient legal basis for the challenge. More than two million [BBC report] British expatriates will be affected by this decision.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron [official profile] announced [JURIST report] in February that the UK will hold the referendum on June 23 to vote on whether the nation will remain a part of the EU. The EU [CNN backgrounder] is a partnership of 28 European countries for political and economic purposes, with its own currency adopted by 19 member nations. It began in the 1950s as the European Economic Community to promote a single economic market without trade barriers. The UK became a member in 1973 and held a referendum [BBC backgrounder] in 1975, with voters electing to remain in the union. The Treaty on the European Union was signed in the Netherlands in 1992, and an EU Constitution was approved by the member nations in 2004. In the years since, many in the UK have voiced concerns about remaining in the EU, with critics saying it has too much control over UK citizens.