Law Weblog

Nine Supreme Court justices to hear appeal

Friday 17 September 2010 at 4:59 am | In News | Post Comment
On 18 of October, the Supreme Court will hear a case of high constitutional importance: does a criminal court in Britain have jurisdiction to try an MP accused of making a dishonest claim for expenses or are such matters exclusively within the jurisdiction of parliament and not matters for the ordinary courts.

The Court of Appeal certified that the case raised a point of law of general public importance.

Nine justices will sit – the normal number is five – because of the matter is not only of public importance, it is of constitutional importance.

The lawyers for the three are expected to cite article 9 of the bill of rights 1688, which says “That the Freedom of Speech and Debates or Proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any Court or Place out of Parliament.”

The supreme court arguments may well be televised, live.