Legal Defeat for Opponents Brexit Protocol

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Opponents of the Brexit protocol that gives Northern Ireland a separate status have suffered a defeat in court. The court in Belfast ruled that the regulations do not conflict with British or European law.

Lawyers for pro-British parties such as the Northern Ireland DUP had argued in vain that the protocol is incompatible with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and legislation from 1800, the so-called Acts of Union. The latter act regulated the union between the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland.

The United Kingdom left the EU last year. They share the only land border between the EU and the United Kingdom. Brussels and London have agreed that Northern Ireland will receive a separate status. This should prevent large-scale border controls from being necessary again between the British territory and neighbouring Ireland.

Northern Ireland continues to follow many EU rules because of these agreements. In practice, this means that checks are necessary on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. In this way, it must be prevented that they are transferred unsupervised to the EU Member State Ireland.

The agreements are very sensitive to unionists, who regard the unity of the United Kingdom as sacred. They probably won’t give up their legal battle against protocol. If they appeal, the case could eventually go to the British Supreme Court.