Top Issue 1-2024

5 October 2016

Resize: A A A Print

Belfast – Brexit High Court hearing concludes Thursday

● Sinn Féin MLA John O’Dowd speaks to the media at Wednesday’s Brexit High Court hearing

THE OUTCOME of the ongoing legal challenge before the High Court in Belfast on the Brexit EU referendum result will be hugely important, Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd MLA has said.

The legal challenge – which is being taken jointly by Sinn Féin, the SDLP, Alliance and a number of human rights groups and figures – is currently being held in Belfast.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is the last day of the hearing, with a ruling expected in the time ahead.

Hard Brexit – Theresa May, Oct 2016 (Guardian)

Speaking to the media today before going into court, Upper Bann MLA John O'Dowd, Sinn Féin’s national spokesperson on Brexit, said that statements made at the annual conference by the British Tory Party, including plans to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017, make the case all the more important.

“One of the more worrying proposals announced by Tory ministers at the conference in Birmingham was for a register of workers,” he said. “How would that impact on the thousands of people who cross the Border for work each day?

“If we reach a stage where employers in Derry or Newry have to put together a register of workers from Donegal or Louth then it will have gone beyond the Pale.

“Warm words from [Secretary of State] James Brokenshire are meaningless against such ridiculous suggestions.”

Register foreign workers

He repeated Sinn Féin’s call for the vote of the people of the North to remain in the EU to be respected.

“We are facing into a very serious economic and political situation which has made the outcome of this court case all the more important.

“The people of the North voted to remain in the EU and that must be respected.”

Bret protest notice Oct 2016

Follow us on Facebook

An Phoblacht on Twitter

An Phoblacht Podcast

An Phoblacht podcast advert2

Uncomfortable Conversations 

uncomfortable Conversations book2

An initiative for dialogue 

for reconciliation 

— — — — — — —

Contributions from key figures in the churches, academia and wider civic society as well as senior republican figures

GUE-NGL Latest Edition ad

An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland