header-logo header-logo

Do we have to leave the EU?

04 July 2016 / Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC
Issue: 7706 / Categories: Opinion , Brexit , EU
printer mail-detail
nlj_7706_comment_bindman

The final say on EU membership is & should be with Parliament, says Geoffrey Bindman QC

The referendum has not been a common feature of British political history and for good reason. It is a blunt instrument. The question it poses has to be simple and broad, but a yes or no response is an unreliable guide to policy on a complex and many-sided topic. The final say on EU membership is and should be with Parliament.

Odd as it may seem to many, the referendum result has no legal effect whatsoever. The European Referendum Act 2015 sets out the terms and conditions on which the referendum took place, but it does not impose any duty on Government or on Parliament to legislate. The Act is completely silent on the consequences of a vote either to leave or to remain.

Only twice previously has there been a referendum of the whole UK. In 1975 there was an overwhelming vote in favour of remaining in the European

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

DWF—19 appointments

DWF—19 appointments

Belfast team bolstered by three senior hires and 16 further appointments

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Firm strengthens leveraged finance team with London partner hire

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Double hire marks launch of family team in Leeds

NEWS
Charlie Mercer and Astrid Gillam of Stewarts crunch the numbers on civil fraud claims in the English courts, in this week's NLJ. New data shows civil fraud claims rising steadily since 2014, with the King’s Bench Division overtaking the Commercial Court as the forum of choice for lower-value disputes
Artificial intelligence may be revolutionising the law, but its misuse could wreck cases and careers, warns Clare Arthurs of Penningtons Manches Cooper in this week's NLJ
Bea Rossetto of the National Pro Bono Centre makes the case for ‘General Practice Pro Bono’—using core legal skills to deliver life-changing support, without the need for niche expertise—in this week's NLJ
The Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment in July that overturned the convictions of Tom Hayes and Carlo Palombo, once poster boys of the Libor and Euribor scandal. In NLJ this week, Neil Swift of Peters & Peters considers what the ruling means for financial law enforcement
Small law firms want to embrace technology but feel lost in a maze of jargon, costs and compliance fears, writes Aisling O’Connell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll