British Prime Minister Theresa May walked a tightrope between undermining Brexit negotiations and turning off Brexit hardliners in her own party | Jack Taylor/AFP via Getty Images
Theresa May’s not-so-red line on the European Court
Judging by Brexiteers’ relaxed response, the prime minister found a way to ‘take back control’ while allowing for some ECJ influence.
By CHARLIE COOPER AND ANNABELLE DICKSON 8/23/17, 8:46 PM CET Updated 8/24/17, 6:48 PM CET
LONDON — It was the Brexit red line that wasn’t so red after all.
The U.K.’s latest hotly anticipated Brexit position paper clarifies that while the Brits will indeed leave the direct jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, the mantra of “taking control of our laws” does not mean a refusal to let the Luxembourg court influence British law via, say, legal precedent, or the dispute resolution mechanism that will be needed to govern a new trading relationship.
If a Brexit deal was ever going to be remotely possible, this was something the U.K. had to make clear.
In doing so, Prime M
