On Tuesday, Britain’s Supreme Court delivered a devastating verdict which marked a watershed in the country’s political history and changed the dynamics of the Brexit process. Following a unanimous decision by 11 judges, the court ruled that Prime Minister Boris Johnson acted unlawfully by suspending Parliament for five weeks, thereby “frustrating the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification”. The suspension of Parliament was therefore “unlawful, void and to no effect”.

The court took no position on the issue of Brexit itself but drew a clear red line marking the limits of executive privilege. It has sent a powerful and reassuring signal that even though Britain has no written Constitution, there are adequate checks and balances in the system to prevent the abuse of authority by even the head of government.