Legal Advice: Prorogation Debate

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Department: Attorney General

Legal Advice: Prorogation

Chris Bryant Excerpts
Wednesday 25th September 2019

(5 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Geoffrey Cox Portrait The Attorney General
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My right hon. Friend is asking me to look into a crystal ball. Far be it from me to fathom the inscrutable minds of their lordships in the Supreme Court as to why they chose not to dissent if they were minded to dissent, or to agree if they were minded not to agree.

Chris Bryant Portrait Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)
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I for one am delighted that we are sitting, but the Attorney General is absolutely right about one thing: the result of yesterday’s ruling is that all future Prorogations will be justiciable by the courts. The only answer to that, frankly, is legislation by this House. My gentle suggestion is that it might be a good idea if, in the future, Prorogation were only allowed to proceed if there had been a vote in this House in favour of it.

Geoffrey Cox Portrait The Attorney General
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Well, if I may say to the hon. Gentleman, that is as I would expect from him, particularly in his new guise as an aspirant to even higher office—it is constructive, helpful, impartial and a model to us all.