The Supreme Court showdown on suspending parliament goes much further than Boris Johnson

Judges’ ruling on whether they have the right to scrutinise a prime minister’s political decision will be absorbed into the British constitution, Lizzie Dearden writes

Black Rod enters the Commons during the ceremony to suspend parliament (AFP/Getty)

A legal showdown that will set a new constitutional precedent for centuries to come is to unfold after Scottish judges found it unlawful for Boris Johnson to prorogue parliament.

The decision the Supreme Court must make goes far beyond the current prime minister, or Brexit, to the foundations of British democracy and the rule of law.

They must decide whether Johnson’s decision to stop parliament sitting for five weeks can be scrutinised by any judge, following opposing decisions by two of Britain’s highest courts.