Scottish, Welsh gov'ts win right to intervene in historic Brexit court case

British Supreme Court announced Friday that the Scottish and Welsh governments will be allowed to intervene in the forthcoming legal battle over how Britain's exit from the European Union (EU) should be triggered.

In what will be one of the most important court cases in British legal history, British Prime Minister Theresa May's government is to appeal against a High Court ruling that parliament must vote on triggering Brexit.

The landmark case will start before all 11 Supreme Court judges on Dec. 5 and is likely to last for four days. The decision will not be announced until early in 2017.

The Supreme Court said Friday that the Lord Advocate of the Scottish government and the Counsel General for the Welsh government had been granted permission to intervene in the case.

The court is also to allow other representation in the case by the "expat interveners," George Birnie and others, as well as the Independent Workers Union of Britain.

Additionally, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland will take part in the case regarding devolution issues relating to Northern Ireland.

The High Court in London ruled earlier this month that the British parliament should have a say before Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is triggered to start two years of formal withdrawal talks from the EU.

May said she still hopes to trigger Article 50 before the end of March 2017, paving the way for Britain to leave the EU before March 2019.

She has always insisted that the government can start the process without permission of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The High Court disagreed, prompting the appeal to the highest court in Britain.

May's fear is that anti-leave politicians could use a parliamentary process to sabotage Brexit. Enditem