The High Court in London has thrown out an attempt to prosecute Tory leadership contender Boris Johnson over claims made by Vote Leave during the Brexit referendum.
Lady Justice Rafferty, sitting with Mr Justice Supperstone, overturned a decision by a lower court that there was a case to answer.
BREAKING: Private prosecution of Boris Johnson quashed by the High Court pic.twitter.com/h7zgTVmxcP
— CourtNewsUK (@CourtNewsUK) 7 June 2019
Lady Justice Rafferty told Mr Johnson's barrister, Adrian Darbishire QC: "We are persuaded, Mr Darbishire, so you succeed, and the relief that we grant is the quashing of the summonses."
Boris Johnson wins his case. Another ludicrous attempt to derail Brexit given oxygen by a complicit media.
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) 7 June 2019
Marcus Ball, a Remainer, had crowdfunded more than £200,000 for a private prosecution, and presented his case at Westminster magistrates court last month and on Wednesday, 29 May, District Judge Margot Coleman ruled the private prosecution could go forward.
Boris Johnson prosecution halted. The case is over.
— David Allen Green (@davidallengreen) 7 June 2019
The only surprise is that it got this far. https://t.co/boEye6N8Xw
Mr Johnson's lawyers claimed Judge Coleman had got the law wrong.
The Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP's legal team said the offence of misconduct in public office was about the clandestine abuse of power and Mr Johnson's claim was not secret.
Many political commentators had seen the case as setting a dangerous precedent for politicians.
