UK: Campaigner to take parliament suspension case to Supreme Court

M/S Campaigner Raymond McCord walking outside court house, Belfast
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SOT, Ciaran O'Hare, solicitor: ''Today's proceedings are very important. What today is all about is all of the issues regarding the Good Friday Agreement and how a No-Deal Brexit would have a catastrophic effect on Northern Ireland and be a breach of the agreement. So, the court is looking at all of those issues today, our court of appeal. Now this morning, we have just found out that Mr. McCord will be permitted to take the prorogation element of this case to the UK Supreme Court in London and his case will be heard on Thursday''
M/S Royal Courts of Justice sign
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SOT, Ciaran O'Hare, solicitor: ''That is a massive development for Mr. McCord in these proceedings. The Supreme Court is already hearing from the English case of Miller, the Scottish case of Cherry and we believe that is vitally important that Northern Ireland has a voice in the Supreme Court and Mr. McCord's case being heard.''
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SOT, Ciaran O'Hare, solicitor: ''In relation to the Supreme Court proceedings, in respect to my client's case, the court will only be looking at the prorogation issues and how prorogation is having a prejudicial effect on Northern Ireland because what Mr. McCord's case is all about is how Northern Ireland will be worse affected through Brexit, through prorogation and ultimately through a No-Deal scenario.''
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SOT, Ciaran O'Hare, solicitor: ''We believe that these court proceedings are absolutely vital at this moment in time and we believe that Northern Ireland has no voice, no executive, this is the only way to express the concerns, of not just Mr. McCord, but of the people of Northern Ireland and certainly we are very much encouraged by the proceedings in Cherry, that is the Scottish proceedings whereby the highest court in Scotland has made a judgement that actually prorogation is unlawful. So we are very much encouraged by that decision.''
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SOT, Ciaran O'Hare, solicitor: ''We anticipate that the judge will take some time to consider things today. There are lengthy submissions for the court to take into consideration. We would imagine that the court will expedite a judgement but that it will take a week or two weeks.''
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SOT, Ciaran O'Hare, solicitor: "Thursday's hearing in the Supreme court is of constitutional, historical importance. We believe that this is the most important constitutional case of all time for the United Kingdom. It's as simple as that. So, Northern Ireland needs a voice and it's very important that Northern Ireland is represented as best as possible on Thursday in the Supreme Court.''
M/S Royal Courts of Justice sign above door
SCRIPT
A lawyer for Northern Irish campaigner Raymond McCord confirmed in Belfast on Monday that his case against parliament prorogation was permitted to be heard in the UK Supreme Court on Thursday.
"Thursday's hearing in the Supreme court is of constitutional, historical importance. We believe that this is the most important constitutional case of all time for the United Kingdom. It's as simple as that. So, Northern Ireland needs a voice and it's very important that Northern Ireland is represented as best as possible on Thursday in the Supreme Court,'' said Ciaran O'Hare.
Meanwhile, McCoy and his lawyer appeared at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast to present a separate case against a No-Deal Brexit. The activist says such scenario would harm Northern Ireland's peace process and the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.
McCoy's case against prorogation at the Supreme Court will be heard alongside similar proceedings from Scottish and English courts. A court in Scotland had already ruled that the government acted illegally while suspending parliament.