Scottish judge says Boris Johnson’s plan for Parliament shutdown is lawful

A judge at the Court of Session in Edinburgh has rejected on Wednesday the bid of opposition group against the Boris Johns's plan to shut down the Parliament next week.

The Judge has said that Johnson’s plan for Parliament shutdown does not contravene the law and hence is lawful. Lord Doherty said courts do not have the power to interfere and therefore it is for the Parliament to decide when it will sit.

"In my view, the advice given in relation to the prorogation decision is a matter involving high policy and political judgment," Doherty told Scotland's Court of Session.

"This is political territory and decision-making which cannot be measured against legal standards and only by political judgments."

Joanna Cherry, a Scottish National Party lawmaker who led the challenge, said they would seek to appeal the decision. The case now will reportedly go to the Inner House of the Court of Session and is likely to end up in the UK Supreme Court.

A cross-party group of 75 parliamentarians brought the case to the Court of Session in Edinburgh arguing that the Prime Minister has exceeded his powers.

Johnson announced on Aug. 28 that he would suspend parliament from mid-September to mid-October, shortly before Britain is due to exit the European Union on Oct. 31, to allow the government to announce a new legislative program.

The opposition argued that Johnson was doing so in order to avoid the parliamentary scrutiny and to stop them from passing legislation that would prevent the UK leaving the European Union without a deal on 31 October.