London's High Court has rejected a legal bid to force the British government to hold a referendum on the European Union's Lisbon Treaty.
Millionaire businessman Stuart Wheeler, a backer of the opposition Conservative Party, launched the action on the basis that the governing Labour Party had promised a referendum on the EU draft constitution in its last election manifesto. Wheeler's lawyers applied for permission to appeal on the grounds of "serious and legal constitutional issues", but the judge refused the application. The legal action has threatened to delay Britain's ratification of the EU reform treaty, which suffered a big blow from Ireland's "no" vote in its June 12 referendum.
(Deutsche Afghans seize 'largest drug haul' ...
Turkey's AKP threatens to clip power of courts ...
Court upholds life sentence for Czech double murderer ... Welle)
more info >>
<< Back