The European Court of Justice on Monday ruled that the United Kingdom can unilaterally revoke its decision to leave the European Union without the permission of the other member states, AFP reported.
A group of legislators from Scotland had asked the European Union’s top court to rule on whether the United Kingdom can pull out of the withdrawal procedure on its own. The court said when an EU member has notified its intent to leave, it is also free to revoke that notification unilaterally. The member state would then have to write to the EU notifying them of the “unequivocal and unconditional” decision.
“Such a revocation, decided in accordance with its own national constitutional requirements, would have the effect that the United Kingdom remains in the EU under terms that are unchanged,” it said.
The ruling will provide a boost to the campaigners of a second referendum seeking to revoke the Brexit decision. The campaigners have argued that if Britain decides to withdraw the notification, it would give them time to hold a referendum.
The decision comes a day before the legislators vote on British Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal to leave the EU.
The UK is due to leave the EU on March 29, 2019. After months of negotiations, UK and EU officials had agreed on the draft text of a Brexit agreement. Although Prime Minister Theresa May has the support of her Cabinet, voices of dissent have grown over the last few days. Four British government ministers, including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, resigned after the draft agreement was signed on November 14.
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