Scotland’s highest court on Wednesday ruled that Boris Johnson’s suspension of parliament was unlawful but stopped short of ordering the recall of MPs ahead of a UK Supreme Court hearing on the issue next week.
In a ruling that sent shockwaves through political and legal circles, Edinburgh’s Court of Session said that Mr Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament ahead of Brexit was “motivated by the improper purpose of stymying parliament”.
The Scottish ruling contrasted with a decision by the High Court in London last week, which was released in full on Wednesday, that the suspension of parliament was “inherently political” and so could not be reviewed by the courts.