The UK Supreme Court has ruled that parliament must be given a vote on legislation to trigger the Brexit process.<br /><br /> Of 11 justices, eight ruled in favour of consulting parliament and three against.<br /><br /> <br />What next?<br /><br /><br /> The British government has lost its legal battle to start the Brexit process without going through parliament.<br /><br /> Media outlets have reported that several versions of a bill have been drafted to put to lawmakers.<br /><br /> The Guardian newspaper has claimed ministers had privately conceded they were very likely to lose the case at the Supreme Court and had drawn up at least two versions of a bill to be presented to parliament after the ruling.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> A “short bill”?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> During the Supreme Court appeal hearing in December, government lawyer James Eadie said a “one-line” bill would be a solution if judges ruled parliament had to give its assent to the triggering of Article 50.<br /><br /> Ministers are reportedly hoping the ruling will allow Prime Minister Theresa May to put forward a short bill or motion, narrowly focused on Article 50.<br /><br /> They say this would make it difficult for lawmakers to amend, making its passage through the House smoother and swifter.<br /><br /> However, government lawyers are reported to have advised the prime minister that a short, or single-clause, bill could store up future problems.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> A “soft Brexit”?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Those in favour of a clean break with the EU are concerned that parliament could use the Supreme Court ruling to water down the government’s plan, in favour of a so-called “soft Brexit”, with more lenient terms negotiated.<br /><br /> The majority of lawmakers were in favour of remaining in the EU.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Why was the UK Supreme Court involved?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Because of a legal argument.<br /><br /> Those against the result of last June’s referendum argued that triggering Article 50 – the official process by which a member state can leave the EU – would nullify the 1972 act of parliament that began the procedure for the UK to join.<br /><br /> They said this can only be done by parliament and not by a popular referendum.<br /><br /> In the UK, only parliament has the power to “make and unmake laws” – in other words, to give its permission for its act to be undone.<br /><br /> London’s High Court backed that argument.<br /><br /> This prompted the government to appeal to the Supreme Court, Britain’s highest judicial body, in December.<br />
