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Student president welcomes Brexit ruling

Student leader Fergal McFerran was part of the High Court challenge
Student leader Fergal McFerran was part of the High Court challenge

A CO Antrim man who was part of yesterday's successful High Court challenge has described it as a victory for "common sense".

Fergal McFerran, president of the NUS-USI student body, submitted evidence as part of the 'People's Challenge' about the impact of Brexit on citizens, and in particular, students in Northern Ireland.

Mr McFerran, from Dunloy, said if Theresa May had been allowed to invoke Article 50 without the scrutiny of Parliament "it would have set a dangerous precedent that entirely undermines the role of a modern parliamentary democracy".

He said the judgment gives the people of Northern Ireland "a voice in the process".

"The implications that Northern Ireland will face in the event of our exit from the European Union demand a level of scrutiny that the British government were trying to deny us," he said.

Mr McFerran's solicitor, Darragh Mackin of KRW Law, said: "The reality is legislation was introduced to create the rights afforded under the EU and only legislation can remove them.

"Parliamentary scrutiny is a minimum level of protection that democracy demands when removing such rights, and we now look forward to the next stage of this process."

Mr Mackin added that any government appeal "will be robustly defended and we intend to begin the preparation for same imminently".