Brexit Metaphor No 163
Brexit is providing another interesting legalistic iteration of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game:
1) A High Court ruling would trump any decision of the Prime Minister.
The hearings on the PM's decision to prorogue Parliament are due to take place on September 5, both at the High Court in London and, separately, at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
2) Parliament trumps Prime Minister.
After all, it elects the PM.
3) Parliament (normally) trumps the courts.
There was a fisheries case once when the court disavowed an Act of Parliament, but that was because it clashed with other legislation passed by Parliament. So the court was an arbiter between conflicting parliamentary legislation, not an overlord.
So, looking at these multiple scenarios of "trumping" in which the PM is always on the receiving end, it does look like the PM is "the butt of all trumps" - if you'll pardon the pun.
Boris Johnson and Donald Trump (a butt and a trump, if you prefer) are two peas in a pod. But even Trump hasn't dared suspend Congress.
How come we ended up with the courts having to intervene in defence of Parliament?
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| An 1884 painting of buttocks (Source: Wikipedia) |
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