Supreme Court rules against Government - Parliament to be given vote on Brexit

                           

The Supreme Court has ruled that Parliament must be given a vote before Article 50 is triggered and Britain formally begins the process of leaving the European Union. 

Downing Street has for weeks been preparing for the result and is understood to have drafted a short Bill which it believes will not face scores of amendments from Remain-supporting backbenchers.
The ruling will mean that the Government has just over two months to push the legislation through both the Commons and the Lords to meet Mrs May's deadline of triggering Article 50 by the end of March. 
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, is expected to attempt to amend the Bill in a bid to force Theresa May to send the terms of a final deal back to Brussels if Parliament votes against it.
He is yet to decide whether he will formally whip Labour MPs to support Article 50 amid concerns that he will face a rebellion from scores of Remain-supporting backbenchers if he does.
The bill is likely to also meet significant opposition in the Lords, where the Conservatives do not have a majority and many peers have called for a second referendum.
Theresa May, however, has made clear that she will keep to her plan to trigger Brexit by the end of March and highlighted the result of a Commons vote December, in which MPs overwhelmingly backed the Prime Minister's timetable for Brexit.

Key Brexit dates

24 January 2017: Supreme Court delivers ruling that Government must seek Parliamentary approval to invoke Article 50
March 31, 2017: Deadline Mrs May has set for invoking Article 50 by notifying the European Council of Britain’s intention to leave the EU
September 30, 2018: Date by which EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, wants to wrap up terms of Britain’s exit from the Union
March 31, 2019: Date by which Theresa May wants to wrap up negotiations over Brexit
May 2019? Britain formally exits the EU, following ratification of Brexit by all other member states

The Supreme Court ruled by a majority of eight to three that the Government must seek the authorisation of Parliament before triggering Brexit.

The majority of justices said failing to give Parliament a vote before triggering Brexit would be a "breach of constitutional principles stretching back many centuries".

Source: The Telegraph