Priti presses PM on EU Court controls
Priti presses PM on EU Court controls
Witham MP Priti Patel has pressed the Prime Minister to give a date with the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice would end. During a statement in the House of Commons on the Prime Minister signing-off the Withdrawal Agreement and a Political Declaration on the future relationship, Priti asked when the UK would no longer be bound by the Court’s jurisdiction. In her answer the Prime Minster spoke about citizens’ rights but did not address wider issues with the European Court of Justice’s role and could give no firm date with the Court’s jurisdiction over the UK will end. Priti said:
“The deal the Government have agreed with the EU is terrible for our country. This country voted to leave the EU and take back control over our borders, our money and our laws but this deal keeps us under the thumb of Brussels.”
“We will be handling over £39 billion to the EU but getting nothing in return. We will be forced to implement EU laws and the EU Court of Justice will enforce those rules for many years to come and it will enforce the Withdrawal Agreement. It is shocking that the Prime Minister cannot tell us when EU control over our country will end because the fact is it will be ongoing. This deal is not in our national interest and I will be voting against it.”
Copy of Priti’s question and the Prime Minister’s answer:
Hansard, 26 November 2018, columns 40-41:
Priti Patel (Witham) (Con)
The Prime Minister, in her statement, speaks of the European Court of Justice and how this deal “ends the jurisdiction” of the ECJ. So can my right hon. Friend give a precise date, or even a year, when the UK will no longer be bound by, be subject to or have imposed on it any judgments from the ECJ?
The Prime Minister
As my right hon. Friend will, I am sure, recall, one of the elements of the citizens’ rights section in the withdrawal agreement does have a period of time where it will be possible for the issues in relations to citizens’ rights to be considered by the European Court of Justice—after that point, there will be no jurisdiction of the ECJ in the United Kingdom. In all other matters, there will be no jurisdiction of the ECJ in the UK prior to that point. There is a limited range of issues that can be considered in relation to citizens’ rights during that draw-down period. It will be the case that people will not be able to take cases to the ECJ in this country. It will be the case that it will be our courts that are determining and interpreting our laws.