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17 October 2019 / Nicholas Dobson
Issue: 7860 / Categories: Features , Brexit , Constitutional law
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The prorogation judgment —a step too far?

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Nicholas Dobson shares his analysis of the recent Supreme Court prorogation decision—right but wrong?

Whatever your view of the controversial decision of the Supreme Court on 24 September 2019 in R (Miller) v The Prime Minister; Cherry and others v Advocate General for Scotland [2019] UKSC 41, it is undoubtedly correct in every minute particular. That is, of course, despite the criticism of many respected constitutional and other lawyers including Professor John Finnis FBA QC (Hon), Professor Emeritus of Law & Legal Philosophy in the University of Oxford). He considered the judgment to have been ‘a misconceived review’, an ‘historic mistake’, ‘wholly unjustified by law’ and one which has caused ‘damage . . .to our constitutional doctrine and settlement’ (see The unconstitutionality of the Supreme Court’s prorogation judgment, Policy Exchange 2019).

But why the decision is completely correct is clear from the title of the determining body. For this is, of course, the Supreme Court, whose judgment on the issue is definitive. And it was a strong decision being the unanimous opinion of all 11 justices; the maximum

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NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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