British PM Boris Johnson rejects calls to resign

LONDON (AP) — In a major blow to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Britain’s highest court has ruled that his decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks in the crucial countdown to the country’s Brexit deadline was illegal.

The unanimous, strongly worded Supreme Court judgment on Tuesday declared Johnson’s order to suspend Parliament “void and of no effect.”

The court found that Johnson’s suspension had the effect of limiting debate by lawmakers on Britain’s impending departure from the European Union in violation of Parliament’s constitutional role.

The landmark decision was quickly criticised by Johnson and prompted calls for him to quit from opposition leaders.

The Conservative prime minister and Parliament have been at odds since he took power in July with the goal of taking Britain out of the EU on October 31 with or without a divorce deal.

Johnson vowed Tuesday that he will not resign and was flying back to London from New York overnight. Parliament resumes Wednesday.

Former Prime Minister John Major says he hopes the U.K. Supreme Court ruling will prevent any future prime ministers from attempting to shut down Parliament in order to block it from doing its duty.

Major said Tuesday he was “delighted” with the court ruling. He had joined the successful case against Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to close Parliament.

“No prime minister must ever treat the monarch or Parliament in this way again,” he said, adding that having Parliament sit is clearly in the national interest.

It was unusual for a former prime minister to take legal action against a sitting prime minister, especially since both are members of the same Conservative Party.

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