The repeal bill published by U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s government in July to enshrine all European Union law in domestic legislation returns to Parliament. It’s now reached the point where rebels can make life hard. The government plans to make it “crystal clear” that the departure will take place at 11 p.m. London time on March 29, 2019. But opposition lawmakers, and even some Conservative rebels, have other ideas. The draft legislation is entering the committee stage where it’s decided which of the 300 or amendments proposed will be examined line by line. It’s at this point where things could get potentially tricky for May.
It repeals the European Communities Act of 1972, which gave effect and priority to EU law in the U.K. It signifies that the British are taking control of their legal destiny. At the same time, the bill will graft EU statutes into British law books, maintaining the status quo.
