From Leigh Day – 25th May 2016

So this is the end of the legal battle, we took it all the way to the highest Court in the country but unfortunately we were unable to persuade the Supreme Court justices of what we still believe is a deeply unfair and unlawful decision by the Government to prevent British citizens, who are acutely affected by the EU Referendum, to vote in it.

The five Supreme Court justices – Lady Hale, Lord Mance, Lord Reed, Lord Sumption and Lord Hughes – unanimously rejected our legal challenge. A video of proceedings can be viewed via the link below:

https://www.supremecourt.uk/watch/uksc-2016-0105/240516-am.html

At the conclusion Lady Hale said: “We have decided that it is not arguable that there is an interference with the right to free movement for the reasons given by both the (High Court) and the Court of Appeal in this case.”

She added: “We do have considerable sympathy for the situation in which the applicants find themselves. We understand that this is something that concerns them deeply, but we cannot discern a legal basis for challenging this statute (2015 Act).”

We would like to say how much stronger our case was with such fantastic appellants and with the support of so many of you. Many thanks for all the good wishes, ideas and passion as we battled through the Courts.

We’ll leave the last word to Harry Shindler MBE

“I have a hope, I always have a hope, that at this late hour the Government will act on the basis that the need for UK to remain in Europe is more important than trying to pacify the OUT members of the government.”

Matrix Chambers

Aidan O’Neill QC

Christopher Brown

Anita Davies

Leigh Day

Richard Stein

Rosa Curling