We welcome EU Court of Justice Advocate General opinion on Article 50 process
Scottish Green MSPs today (4 Dec) welcomed the opinion of the EU Court of Justice Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona, who says that the Article 50 process triggering Brexit can be cancelled by the UK without needing permission from other EU member states.
The case was brought by Scottish Green MSPs Andy Wightman and Ross Greer, along with politicians from the SNP and Labour.
The group asked Scotland's Court of Session to seek a ruling on whether the UK can cancel the Brexit process by revoking the Article 50 notification of March 2017.
While the Advocate General opinion is not binding on the EUCJ, it is very influential.
Scottish Green MSP Andy Wightman said:
"This is a very welcome opinion that vindicates the argument we made to the Court of Justice on 27 November. We await the Court’s ruling in due course followed by the final decision of the Court of Session.
"It is now highly likely that, if the people of the UK were to change their minds and decide to remain in the EU, there is now a route to doing so. This would involve the extension of the Article 50 notification period and a second referendum. This is the only option that ends the current chaos and provides a considered and sincere means by which the citizens of the UK can have the final say in this process."
Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer said:
"It's now clearer than ever that the UK does not have to pick between the terrible deal negotiated by the Tories or the disaster of a No-Deal Brexit. The choice of becoming much worse off or disastrously worse off is no choice at all. We now know this omnishambles can be ended though, ideally by putting the final say back in the hands of the public."