Posted on 09/02/2022 6:23:24 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Boris Johnson and his allies have launched a legal fightback against a Commons inquiry into claims he lied to parliament about partygate.
The government has commissioned legal advice from a top QC, Lord Pannick, which the PM's supporters claim undermines the legitimacy of the inquiry.
Lord Pannick is a crossbench peer who has previously acted against the government for anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller and Shamima Begum over the removal of her British citizenship.
The inquiry into Mr Johnson, by the all-party Privileges Committee, has been denounced as "a witch-hunt" and "a kangaroo court" by his allies after the committee announced it could rule against him even if he did not deliberately mislead MPs.
As a result, Downing Street and the Cabinet Office called in Lord Pannick for a legal opinion, claiming the inquiry by the all-party committee could damage the functioning of government.
Supporters of the PM are now claiming Lord Pannick's advice should mean the end of the probe.
'Biased and chilling'
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries told the Daily Mail: "This expert legal opinion shows that the inquiry was a biased, Kafkaesque witch-hunt - it should now be halted before it does any more damage.
"As a minister, you simply cannot verify every single piece of trusted advice and information you are given in good faith by well-intentioned and conscientious senior officials.
"What this potentially does is set a trap for every minister in the future, and it's a chilling prospect for the future of our democracy."
As Mr Johnson refuses to rule out plotting a political comeback, the stakes could not be higher for him. If he is found to be in contempt of parliament, he could be suspended or even kicked out of the Commons after a recall petition.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
“The government has commissioned legal advice from a top QC, Lord Pannick, which the PM’s supporters claim undermines the legitimacy of the inquiry.”
While I’m no fan of Johnson, but if his opponents are using a guy named “Panic”, then yes, they likely don’t have much of a case.
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