The ruling of Scotland’s highest court that Boris Johnson’s suspension of parliament was unlawful since it aimed to “stymie” it — and that he in effect misled the Queen — is extremely grave. It is not, to be sure, the final word. The three judges applied Scots law, which can diverge on constitutional matters from its English counterpart. The High Court in London found differently. The UK’s Supreme Court must now issue a definitive opinion. Yet whatever that court decides, the Scottish ruling strengthens the impression of a government ready to trample on centuries-old conventions. It is yet another self-inflicted blow for a hapless British prime minister.
蘇格蘭最高法院裁定，英國首相鮑里斯•強森(Boris Johnson)暫停議會不合法，因爲此舉旨在「阻撓」議會——而且強森事實上誤導了女王。這一裁決極其嚴重。誠然，這並不是最終定論。做出這一裁決的三位法官援引的是蘇格蘭法，蘇格蘭法在憲法事務上可能與英格蘭法存在分歧。倫敦高等法院(High Court)對暫停議會一事的裁決有所不同。英國最高法院(Supreme Court)現在必須發表最終意見。然而，無論英國最高法院做出什麼判決，蘇格蘭最高法院的這次裁決都加深了外界的一個印象：英國政府準備踐踏已有數百年曆史的慣例。對於倒楣的英國首相來說，這是他又一次自食其果。