Judge agrees to fast track legal challenge against Prime Minister to stop no-deal

Boris Johnson

A judge has agreed to fast track the court hearing over whether or not Boris Johnson can suspend parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.

More than 70 cross party MPs and anti-Brexit campaigners filed a petition at Edinburgh’s Court of Session to prevent the British prime minister being able to prorogue parliament.

Jolyon Maugham QC, director of the Good Law Project, said: “A man with no mandate seeks to cancel Parliament for fear it will stop him inflicting on an unwilling public an outcome they did not vote for and do not want.

“That’s certainly not democracy and I expect our courts to say it’s not the law.”

Judge Lord Raymond Doherty has agreed to expedite the legal hearing and has set a date for Friday 6 September for the substantive hearing.

On Tuesday 3 September MPs return back to parliament from their summer break and it is expected that Labour will call for a motion of no confidence in Johnson’s government that week.

A source said that Number 10 expects that on Monday 9 September MPs could discuss the report which would be a major showdown in the House of Commons.

There are insiders that are speculating the EU are watching and waiting to see what if any outcome there will be in the House of Commons to prevent a no-deal before they consider any amendments to Article 50.

Downing Street reiterated on Monday that the prime minister remains “very clear in his determination to want to get a deal” and talks with EU leaders will happen over the phone in the coming days.