Scottish Judges to Hear Case on Whether U.K. Able to Halt Brexit

(Bloomberg) -- A Scottish court will examine whether the U.K. has the right to unilaterally scrap its plan to leave the European Union after appeal judges allowed the case to proceed.

The Court of Session in Edinburgh will hear the petition by a cross-party group of politicians after judges decided that the initial application shouldn’t have been thrown out last month. They say there should be a legal ruling on whether Britain can withdraw its letter to the EU triggering Article 50, the process for leaving the bloc.

The group is pushing for the case to ultimately be referred to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. It wants Britain to be able to choose to stay in the EU if lawmakers in London vote against the final Brexit deal.

Some in Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet have said Brexit will happen with or without a deal should lawmakers reject the final agreement with the EU.

Jo Maugham, a lawyer who championed the case through the Good Law Project, said it was "hugely significant that the Scottish Court of Appeal has acknowledged parliament can vote to remain -- whatever the government pretends."

To contact the reporter on this story: Rodney Jefferson in Edinburgh at r.jefferson@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net, Christopher Elser

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