'Bombshell'" EU court to hear case on halting Brexit

A legal appeal to decide if Britain alone can change its mind about leaving the European Union should be given consideration by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), Scotland's highest court said on Friday in a boost to anti-Brexit campaigners.
Rounding out a week of bad news for Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plans, petitioners argued successfully that legal certainty about the process is needed in advance of any British parliamentary vote because no country has ever withdrawn from the European Union.
The Court of Session decision means the ECJ should say whether it is legally possible for Britain to stay in the world's biggest trading bloc if and when the UK parliament so decides.
Brexit continues to be mired in doubt after EU leaders cautioned Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday that unless she presented an alternative to her current proposals, Britain would crash out of the EU without a deal.
Jo Maugham, a lawyer funding the judicial appeal, described the Scottish court's decision to refer the issue to the European court as an "absolute bombshell" for the government.
London has argued that the question of whether Britain alone can stop Brexit is irrelevant, since it...

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