European judges to be stripped of Northern Ireland Protocol powers under new Brexit law.
European judges will be blocked from having the final say on Northern Ireland disputes under a new Brexit law set to spark a fresh Tory rebellion against Boris Johnson.
The proposed legislation will remove the oversight of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and hand the final judgment on disputes to the British courts under new powers that will effectively mean parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol do not apply.
There will still be a limited role for European courts but they won’t get the final say.
Government source
The Bill, to be presented aims to reverse the damaging impact of border checks introduced as part of the Brexit deal to allow Northern Ireland unique dual access to both EU and UK markets.
It seeks to remove almost all customs checks on products entering the province from Great Britain, creating a “green lane” for those goods destined for shelves in Northern Ireland. Northern Irish businesses will be allowed to choose between following UK or EU regulations.
It will also fix “the unacceptable situation” whereby people in Northern Ireland cannot avail of the same tax benefits as everyone else in the UK, Whitehall sources said.
Boris Johnson is understood to have agreed to a more hardline version of the Bill supported by Ms Truss and senior Brexiteer Tory MPs despite reported opposition from Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, and Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor.
The logic of this is simple. The EU won’t agree to change the Protocol – even though it is undermining the Belfast Good Friday Agreement – so therefore we’re obliged to act. This isn’t about picking a fight with the EU, it’s about doing right by the people of Northern Ireland.
A source close to the Foreign Secretary
Source: Yahoo News
Published: 13th June 2022