The origins of Brexit are rooted in decades-long debates about British sovereignty, national identity, immigration policies, and financial contributions towards EU budget among other issues. Euroscepticism had been brewing within parts of UK society and political spectrum for years before it reached a tipping point with 2016 referendum. This departure was not only significant because it was unprecedented - no member state had ever left EU before - but also due to complexities involved in disentangling more than four decades worth legal ties between UK & EU which were further complicated by constitutional implications at both domestic level within UK as well as supra-national level within EU framework.
The Legal Framework of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty
The first two paragraphs declare that any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union "in accordance with its own constitutional requirements" and it must notify European Council of this intention. Upon notification, negotiations begin for setting terms of exit & future relationship between departing state & remaining members which should be concluded within two years unless extended by mutual consent. Exact interpretation about how these principles apply in practice sparked significant disagreements among legal experts including issues such as whether notification under Article 50 could be revoked unilaterally or not thus determining whether Brexit could be stopped once triggered.
The Constitutional Implications of Invoking Article 50 for the UK
Externally, leaving the EU represented a significant shift in UK’s constitutional order as it entailed withdrawal from numerous treaties & legal obligations which had become embedded within British law over past four decades thereby requiring extensive legislative amendments to repatriate powers back from Brussels to London. It also raised questions about future of devolution settlements given divergent views towards Brexit among different constituent parts of UK which highlighted tensions between unitary nature of Westminster system and increasingly federal reality on ground.
Negotiation Process and Deadlines under Article 50
Negotiating future relationship proved much more complex due to issues such as trade arrangements, regulatory alignment/divergence among others that would have far-reaching impacts on both sides post-Brexit. Despite extending deadline beyond original two years through mutual consent due to deadlock over these matters, it wasn't until December 2020 - almost four and half years after referendum - that final deal was reached just days before end year cut-off thereby avoiding potential 'no-deal' scenario but leaving little time for its scrutiny or implementation.
Potential Legal Challenges during the Brexit Process
Secondly, another significant legal hurdle involved rights of EU citizens living in UK & British nationals living elsewhere within EU. With millions of individuals potentially affected, resolving this issue became a key sticking point during negotiations due to contrasting interpretations about how principles of non-discrimination & equal treatment under EU law could continue applying post-Brexit especially given intention from UK side to end jurisdiction of European Court Of Justice on its territory thereby creating potential for future divergences.
Impact on UK's Legal System Post-Brexit
Over time it is expected that parliament will review these laws and may choose to diverge from former EU standards. This could potentially lead to regulatory divergence with its largest trading partner which carries its own set of challenges for businesses operating across UK-EU borders. Brexit also resulted in loss of access to several judicial cooperation mechanisms such as European Arrest Warrant or jurisdiction of Court of Justice of European Union which has implications for both civil & criminal justice systems within UK moving forward.
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