EU court rules ‘Brexit’ does not nullify British man’s charges in EU News
© WikiMedia (Cédric Puisney)
EU court rules ‘Brexit’ does not nullify British man’s charges in EU

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) [official website] ruled [judgment] Wednesday that a British man charged with murder, rape and arson in the EU must still face trial although Brexit will nullify most other legal bonds his country shares with the EU.

The British national, identified as only “RO” in court documents, allegedly committed murder, rape and arson in 2016 before the Brexit vote and faced EU warrants. He is presently serving time in Irish prison after a conviction for crimes in that member state, but he has yet to face trial in EU courts.

“RO” appealed the warrants with a claim that Brexit, which will occur in March 2019, would not allow him to face conviction in European courts, but Wednesday’s ruling concluded that “mere notification by a Member State of its intention to withdraw from the European Union … does not have the effect of suspending the application of EU law.”

A press release [text, PDF] accompanying the decision reaffirms that “the Court emphasises that the United Kingdom is party to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and that its continuing participation in that convention is not linked to its being a member of the EU.”

As a result, “RO” will face trial for the warrants against him in European courts.