Brexit: PM seeks a flexible extension

The Prime Minister has written to the President of the European Council requesting

“a further extension to the period provided under Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union, including as applied by Article 106a of the  Euratom Treaty. The United Kingdom proposes that this period should end on 30 June 2019. If the parties are able to ratify before this date, the Government proposes that the period should be terminated early. The Government will want to agree a timetable for ratification that allows the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union before 23 May 2019 and therefore cancel the European Parliament elections, but will continue to make responsible preparations to hold the elections should this not prove possible.”

This proposal for an extension until the end of June precludes the possibility of holding a referendum before the joint talks with Jeremy Corbyn have concluded. However, David Allen Green notes that under Article 50 TEU, any extension has to be unanimous within the EU27, so regardless of what the UK (i.e. Theresa May) may ask for, if the EU27 agree on an extension date which suits them (i.e. 31 March 2020), then that will be the only date on offer.

A right to sex?

In a sensitive case before the Court of Protection, social workers asked the Court to determine whether a man should be banned from having sex with his wife of twenty years. Continue reading →