Former Prosecutor Says BoJo Could Wind Up In Prison If He Refuses Brexit Delay

After a cross-party “rebel alliance” of opposition MPs and pro-remain Tories passed a law that will require PM Boris Johnson to ask the EU27 to once again delay Article 50 – this time until Jan. 31 – unless he can bring home a new withdrawal agreement by Oct. 19, Johnson made clear that he has no intention of asking Brussels for another extension.

In remarks earlier this week, Johnson said he would rather die than remain in the EU after Oct. 31.

But with the hysteria surrounding the UK’s seemingly never-ending Brexit negotiations once again on the rise, a former director of public prosecutions has told Sky News that Boris Johnson could go to prison if he refuses to delay Brexit in the face of court action or parliament passing the law.

Lord MacDonald, who held the senior prosecutor post between 2003 and 2008, said in this case, legal action would mean a court ordering that the law should be followed.

“A refusal in the face of that would amount to contempt of court which could find that person in prison,” he said.

The cross-bench peer said this was “not an extreme outcome” as it was “convention” that individuals who refuse to “purge their contempt” are sent to prison.

Then again, since the prospect of throwing a prime minister in prison doesn’t really bode well for social cohesion, it’s also possible that the government could authorize another figure to ask for the delay.

It’s also possible that Johnson has come up with a workaround of his own.

MacDonald added that Johnson and his senior advisor Dominic Cummings might have found a way to to have to delay Brexit, saying “I expect they have some ideas that they’re working on.”

Meanwhile, Dominic Grieve, who was expelled from the Conservative Party for joining the rebel alliance to vote against the government, told Sky News that Johnson was acting like a “spoilt child having a tantrum,” and that if he refuses to obey the law, he should be “sent to prison for contempt.”

One former Supreme Court judge said if Johnson refused, the government would designate another official to handle the sign off on an extension in place of the PM.

If the prime minister still refused to comply, a judge could make an order demanding that a government official sign off the extension “in place of the prime minister”.

“He’s not going to be marched off to Pentonville Prison… it’s much less dramatic than all that,” he added.

The cross-party bill demanding a Brexit delay if no agreement is reached is expected to become law on Monday, when it’s expected to pass the House of Lords.