Europe

Protesters outside UK court ahead of Brexit lawsuit

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Gina Miller, second from left, walks past the High Court prior to the start of her landmark lawsuit, in London, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016. Financial entrepreneur Gina Miller's landmark lawsuit begins with a simple question: can Prime Minister Theresa May’s government invoke Article 50 and trigger the exit from the European Union without an act of Parliament? (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (The Associated Press)

Gina Miller, left, walks past the High Court prior to the start of her landmark lawsuit, in London, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016. Financial entrepreneur Gina Miller's landmark lawsuit begins with a simple question: can Prime Minister Theresa May’s government invoke Article 50 and trigger the exit from the European Union without an act of Parliament? (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (The Associated Press)

Gina Miller, left, walks past the High Court prior to the start of her landmark lawsuit, in London, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016. Financial entrepreneur Gina Miller's landmark lawsuit begins with a simple question: can Prime Minister Theresa May’s government invoke Article 50 and trigger the exit from the European Union without an act of Parliament? (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (The Associated Press)

Demonstrators have gathered outside of Britain's High Court in advance of a critical hearing on whether the government has the power to trigger Britain's exit from the European Union without an act of Parliament.

Half a dozen protesters carrying a banner asking for the exit to start now were met Thursday by a dozen people carrying EU flags.

The case is considered the most important constitutional matter in a generation and centers around whether Prime Minister Theresa May can start negotiating Britain's exit from the EU without a vote in the House of Commons.

Financial entrepreneur Gina Miller's lawsuit against the government seeks to answer big questions about where power lies in the nation's democracy and whether rights can be revoked without a vote of lawmakers.