The aim of the seminar is to discuss the recent rulings delivered by the High Courts in Northern Ireland (McCord, Re Judicial) and England and Wales (in R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union) concerning the constitutional requirements to trigger Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, in order to kick-start the process of negotiating the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Topics of discussion will include:

• whether the triggering of Article 50 TEU can take place under the royal prerogative or requires an Act of Parliament
• the legislative consent of the devolved nations and the possible involvement of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Brexit disputes

As the Article 50 disputes have now made their way up to the Supreme Court, the seminar participants will also discuss the key issues and arguments that may arise in the context of these proceedings.

The seminar will be chaired by Billy Melo Araujo from Queen’s University and the speakers from Queen’s are:

• Professor Chris McCrudden
• Dr Alex Schwartz 
• Professor John Morrison
• Professor Dagmar Schiek

This event is sponsored by Queen’s School of Law, the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence “Tensions at the Fringes of the European Union” project, and the Human Rights Centre.