The UK government’s Supreme Legal Advisor has stated that it is “right” for the government to take action against the Northern Ireland Protocol, suggesting that the UK is likely to suspend some of its post-Brexit trade agreements. I am.
Sula Braverman, a British and Wales lawyer and Northern Ireland lawyer, condemned the European Union’s “interpretation and application” of the agreement on May 12, a fact between Northern Ireland and the rest of the world. He said he had created the border of the sea above. England.
The Northern Ireland Protocol is part of the UK’s Brexit Agreement, which leaves Northern Ireland in the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union. Created to avoid the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Visible borders are at risk of resurrecting sectarian violence between Irish nationalists and unionists.
However, the largest unionist party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), refused to accept the agreement and protested and destroyed the Government of Northern Ireland. The newly elected Northern Ireland Assembly, a parliament in the region, cannot function today as DUP refused to nominate a speaker.
Ministers said Article 16 of the Protocol could be invoked. This allows either side to suspend some arrangements.
At the BBC’s question time on Thursday, Braverman said the EU had applied a disproportionate number of border checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea, making it “painful” for Britain to take action against the Protocol. It was clearly necessary. “
Asked about London Times Braveman said he shed light on the suspension of most of the Protocol, saying that the information cannot be confirmed or denied. That is, and the application of the protocol. “
“The economy of Northern Ireland is worth less than 1% of the total EU economy, but the number of checks applied to the Irish Sea is not perfectly proportional to it and is less than the number of checks applied. It’s a lot of balance, at their rest of the border, “she said.
“It doesn’t make sense, so I think it’s right for us to take action.”
Braveman emphasized that the government has decided whether to suspend part of the agreement, but it protects Britain’s integrity, removes trade barriers, and both union members and nationalists say they Make sure you feel part of Northern Ireland.
Sir Jonathan Jones, QC, who resigned as head of the Government Legal Department in an attempt to invalidate the Protocol in 2020, warned that the move could violate international law.
“If it’s being proposed now, it’s a serious problem and feels like a rerun of what happened two years ago when the government was proposing a violation of international law,” he said. I told the “PM” program.
“We know that if that happens, the EU will be very crossing, and I think we can understand that they cross. This is a one-sided act and after Brexit. This is because it seriously undermines relations with the EU. “
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveny said the unilateral suspension of the Protocol was “anti-democratic” on the British side.
Coveney told the BBC Radio Four that if the UK government violated the Protocol, it would “intentionally decide to violate international law,” adding: The 90 MLAs elected to the Northern Ireland Parliament support the Protocol. “
In the Northern Ireland elections on May 5, nationalist Sinn Féin won 27 seats, making it the first and largest party in Stormont. Meanwhile, the Democratic Unionist Party came in second with 25 seats.
Of the 90 newly elected MLAs, 37 were registered as union members, 35 were registered as nationalists, and 18 were not registered in either.
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Lily Zhou is a freelance writer who mainly covers the British news of The Epoch Times.