Politicians react to High Court ruling NI Protocol is lawful

A High Court judge in Belfast has ruled that the Northern Ireland Protocol is lawful.

A group of unionist politicians had challenged the protocol in judicial review proceedings, claiming it conflicted with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the Acts of Union.

Mr Justice Colton rejected their challenge on all grounds on Wednesday afternoon.

Politicians have been giving their reactions to the ruling.

Mr Johnson said the government would "study in detail" the High Court ruling, after being asked about it during Prime Minister's Questions by DUP MP Iain Paisley.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson said: "I can give him this general assurance, which he knows to be true, is that nothing will effect the position of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom.

"We will make sure we uphold that."

Sir Jeffrey described the ruling as "politically significant" and said it would have potential consequences for "the future stability of political institutions".

In a tweet, the Lagan Valley MP said the judgement confirmed the "protocol damages our constitutional position in the UK contrary to the principle of consent and various agreements".

In a tweet, Ms O'Neill said the High Court ruling was "welcome".

"The protocol is a consequence of the hard Brexit championed by the Tories and DUP," Ms O'Neill said.

The Sinn Féin vice-president called on politicians to "get on with making it [the NI Protocol] work".

Mr Allister, who was among those to lead the judicial review case, said the court ruling "confirmed the protocol is dismantling the union".

Speaking outside the High Court in Belfast following the decision, Mr Allister said the ruling "underscores the necessity to step up the political battle against the protocol".

He said the UK government must "now reverse the mistake of repeal, if the PM's words mean anything".

"No more propping up the Belfast Agreement institutions while the protocol manoeuvres us out of the union," he added.

Speaking to the BBC's Talkback programme, the SDLP's Matthew O'Toole said the High Court judgement was clear.

"Before we get into some of the interpretive spin, it is important to say that these applications were rejected," he said.

"The Act Of Union has been amended, implicitly and explicably repealed [before] in multiple ways but the core point is Northern Ireland is still in the United Kingdom, and that will not change unless the majority of people here vote otherwise."

He encouraged other politicians to get on with sorting out practical issues and delivering for all of the people in Northern Ireland.

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) assembly member (MLA) Steve Aiken said his party acknowledged the findings of the court but stressed "this is an issue of such magnitude that it needs to be appealed to a higher court".

"This ruling impacts on every single part of the United Kingdom," Mr Aiken said.

"The fact that the judge found that the Withdrawal Agreement Act, which includes the Protocol, does conflict with the 1800 Act of Union in respect of free trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, should be a matter of grave concern for everyone," the South Antrim MLA said.

"No one can say that the protocol has the majority support of the people of Northern Ireland anymore," Mr Aiken added.

"It is now time to stop thinking of the Northern Ireland Protocol in constitutional terms and focus on solving the practical problems posed by it," Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry said.

"Northern Ireland remains part of the UK, via the principle of consent," added the North Down MP.

"Today's ruling has confirmed that once again."

Mr Farry said the focus now must be on the "long-term solutions on agri-food movements" and "the flow of medicines and other challenges presented to Northern Ireland from Brexit".

Wednesday's judgement is likely to be appealed and the case could ultimately be heard by the UK Supreme Court before the end of 2021.

Former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib and former Labour MP Kate Hoey - now Baroness Hoey - were also among those behind the judicial review case.

Speaking at a press conference in Belfast following the judgement, Mr Habib said: "The only positive you might put on it is we do now officially know that the union of the United Kingdom has been trampled on by the protocol."

Mr Habib said the prime minister now "has to face up to the reality that his own judicial system has said that the union of the United Kingdom has been broken".

Baroness Hoey said it must be "absolutely clear that this is only the beginning of the legal challenge and also of peoples' protests against what has been done to us without consent".