A court challenge over a Stormont vote on extending post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland has been dismissed, with the Assembly debate set go ahead as planned on Tuesday.
Ruling on Monday evening after an emergency hearing in Belfast High Court, judge Mr Justice McAlinden rejected loyalist activist Jamie Bryson’s application for leave for a full judicial review hearing against Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn.
The judge said Mr Bryson, who represented himself as a personal litigant, had “very ably argued” his case with “perseverance and cogency” and had raised some issues of law that caused him “some concern”.
However, he found against him on the three grounds of challenge against Mr Benn.
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Mr Bryson had initially asked the court to grant interim relief in his challenge to prevent Tuesday’s democratic consent motion being heard in the Assembly, pending the hearing of a full judicial review.
However, he abandoned that element of his leave application during proceedings on Monday after the judge made clear he would be “very reluctant” to do anything that would be “trespassing into the realms” of a democratically elected Assembly.
Mr Bryson had challenged Mr Benn’s move to initiate the democratic consent process that is required under the UK and EU’s Windsor Framework deal to extend the trading arrangements that apply to Northern Ireland.
The previously stated voting intentions of the main parties suggest that Stormont MLAs will vote to continue the measures for another four years when they convene to debate the motion on Tuesday. - PA
