London court puts brakes on Brexit

Britain’s Brexit drama took an unexpected twist today when the London-based High Court ruled Parliament must bless the voter referendum to withdraw the country from the European Union. Although a majority of British voters approved the EU exit, the three-judge panel ruled voters don’t have the final say: “The most fundamental rule of the U.K.’s constitution is that Parliament is sovereign and can make and unmake any law it chooses.” Prime Minister Theresa May, who opposed Brexit before being selected to replace David Cameron after the cataclysmic vote, said she was “disappointed” by today’s decision. She reiterated her commitment to respect voters’ wishes and said the government plans to appeal the decision to the nation’s Supreme Court. Brexit opponents hailed the ruling as an opportunity to rethink the nation’s future, but analysts don’t expect lawmakers to buck voters by rejecting the referendum results.