header-logo header-logo

All Out War (Pt 4): The mad riddle of Brexit

16 August 2019
Categories: Features , Brexit , EU , Constitutional law
printer mail-detail
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.

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

National Pro Bono Centre—Esther McConnell & Sarah Oliver Scemla

National Pro Bono Centre—Esther McConnell & Sarah Oliver Scemla

Charity strengthens leadership as national Pro Bono Week takes place

Michelman Robinson—Akshay Sewlikar

Michelman Robinson—Akshay Sewlikar

Dual-qualified partner joins London disputes practice

McDermott Will & Schulte—Karen Butler

McDermott Will & Schulte—Karen Butler

Transactions practice welcomes partner in London office

NEWS
NLJ columnist Stephen Gold dives into the quirks of civil practice, from the Court of Appeal’s fierce defence of form N510 to fresh reminders about compliance and interest claims, in this week's Civil Way
Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] EWHC 2341 (KB) has restated a fundamental truth, writes John Gould, chair of Russell-Cooke, in this week's NLJ: only authorised persons can conduct litigation. The decision sparked alarm, but Gould stresses it merely confirms the Legal Services Act 2007
The government’s decision to make the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the Single Professional Services Supervisor marks a watershed in the UK’s fight against money laundering, says Rebecca Hughes of Corker Binning in this week's NLJ. The FCA will now oversee 60,000 firms across legal and accountancy sectors—a massive expansion of remit that raises questions over resources and readiness 
The High Court's decision in Parfitt v Jones [2025] EWHC 1552 (Ch) provided a striking reminder of the need to instruct the right expert in retrospective capacity assessments, says Ann Stanyer of Wedlake Bell in NLJ this week
Paige Coulter of Quinn Emanuel reports on the UK’s first statutory definition of SLAPPs under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023in NLJ this week
back-to-top-scroll