The ruling of Scotland’s highest court that Boris Johnson’s suspension of parliament was unlawful since it aimed to “stymie” it — and that he in effect misled the Queen — is extremely grave. It is not, to be sure, the final word. The three judges applied Scots law, which can diverge on constitutional matters from its English counterpart. The High Court in London found differently. The UK’s Supreme Court must now issue a definitive opinion. Yet whatever that court decides, the Scottish ruling strengthens the impression of a government ready to trample on centuries-old conventions. It is yet another self-inflicted blow for a hapless British prime minister.
苏格兰最高法院裁定，英国首相鲍里斯•约翰逊(Boris Johnson)暂停议会不合法，因为此举旨在“阻挠”议会——而且约翰逊事实上误导了女王。这一裁决极其严重。诚然，这并不是最终定论。做出这一裁决的三位法官援引的是苏格兰法，苏格兰法在宪法事务上可能与英格兰法存在分歧。伦敦高等法院(High Court)对暂停议会一事的裁决有所不同。英国最高法院(Supreme Court)现在必须发表最终意见。然而，无论英国最高法院做出什么判决，苏格兰最高法院的这次裁决都加深了外界的一个印象：英国政府准备践踏已有数百年历史的惯例。对于倒霉的英国首相来说，这是他又一次自食其果。