Another British Court affirms Johnson's plan to suspend Parliament

Sept. 6 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won another court battle Friday over his controversial decision to suspend Parliament until mid-October.

Three senior British judges found Johnson acted legally when he advised Queen Elizabeth II of his plan to suspend Parliament, beginning next week. The issue will migrate next to the British High Court, which will hear appeals on Sept. 17. Johnson's suspension of Parliament is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 9.

Johnson has said the suspension is aimed at facilitating his domestic agenda and ending a session he says has already gone on too long. Critics say he's trying to avert parliamentary attempts to block him from leaving the European Union in October without a bloc-sanctioned agreement.

The court decision Friday isn't the first to affirm the prime minister's move. A Scotland court ruled in Johnson's favor earlier this week, blocking an attempt to end prorogation plans.

Businesswoman and Brexit opponent Gina Miller, who brought the action before the court, said she was disappointed in the ruling but vowed to keep fighting.

"We feel strongly that parliamentary sovereignty is fundamental to the stability and future of our country and is therefore worth fighting to defend," Miller said. "We are therefore pleased that the judges have given us permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, which we will be doing.

"We need to protect our institutions. It's not right that they should be shut down or bullied, especially at this most momentous time in our history. My legal team and I will not give up the fight for democracy."

Johnson said Friday he plans to withdraw Britain on time, on the Oct. 31 departure date. He refused to say when asked if he plans on resigning if Parliament blocks or delays the EU exit. Parliament voted Wednesday to prevent Britain from leaving without an EU deal.

"That is not a hypothesis I'm willing to contemplate," Johnson said. "I want us to get this thing done and I think the people of this country also do. There's an opportunity to be so much more positive about all this. I still think there's so much negativity around about this country, about what it can do and about Brexit.

"I'm looking forward to a Britain where we no longer wrangle about how exactly we're going to come out of the EU."