Supreme Court to rule on Holyrood 'emergency' Brexit bill

The UK's Supreme Court is set to rule on the legal challenge to the Scottish Parliament's emergency Brexit legislation.

MSPs passed the bill in March after talks broke down over Westminster's EU Withdrawal bill to ensure EU laws would continue in Scots law, but the UK Government has challenged the legislation in the courts.

UK law officers claim it is inconsistent with UK law.

The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill got the backing of 95 MSPs, while the Scottish Conservatives and Lib Dem Mike Rumbles voted against. 

It was designed to prevent what ministers in Scotland and Wales have described as a “power grab” of powers repatriated from Brussels.

At the time Holyrood's Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh warned the bill was "not within the legislative competence of the parliament", but this was denied by the Scottish government's legal adviser. Lawyers from the Welsh and Northern Irish governments have since backed the Scottish Parliament's position.

The ruling is due at 9.30am, and will be followed by a statement in the Scottish Parliament.