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16 August 2019
Categories: Features , Brexit , EU , Constitutional law
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All Out War (Pt 4): The mad riddle of Brexit

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Is it time to turn to thoughts of treason?

On 3 July, the private prosecution against Boris Johnson by the crowdfunding campaigner Marcus Ball for misconduct in public office, on the basis that he repeatedly lied and misled the British public as to the cost of EU membership, expressly stating, endorsing or inferring that the cost of EU membership was £350m per week, was quashed (Johnson v Westminster Magistrates' Court [2019] EWHC 1709 (Admin), [2019] All ER (D) 10 (Jul)).

On 14 August the High Court refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court and refused to certify that the case raised a point of law of general public importance. Ball could still seek permission direct from the Supreme Court but even if he were to be successful it seems unlikely that the final appeal would be heard before 31 October 2019. 

The quashed judgment of District Judge Coleman dated 29 May 2019 cites a note prepared by Johnson's legal team summarising his position.

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