VOA慢速英语2019 英国最高法院裁定“暂停议会”非法（在线收听）

Britain’s Supreme Court Rules Parliament Suspension ‘Unlawful’

Britain’s highest court ruled Tuesday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson violated the law when he asked Queen Elizabeth to suspend parliament.

英国最高法院周二裁定，首相鲍里斯·约翰逊要求伊丽莎白女王暂停议会违法了法律。

The Supreme Court said that Johnson’s request was “unlawful, null and of no effect.”

最高法院表示，约翰逊的要求是“非法和无效的。”

All eleven justices agreed with the ruling. The court said that Johnson’s action prevented parliament from carrying out its duties of “holding the government to account.”

高院全部11名大法官均同意该裁决。该院表示，约翰逊的行为使得议会无法履行“使得政府承担责任”的职责。

The order for a five-week suspension of parliament came as Britain prepares to withdraw from the European Union by October 31. However, no deal for leaving the EU has been reached.

在英国准备于10月31日退出欧盟之际，约翰逊下达了让议会休会5周的命令。然而，英国脱欧尚未达成协议。

Johnson has promised to cancel Britain’s EU membership with or without a trade agreement with European officials.

约翰逊已经承诺，无论是否与欧洲官员达成贸易协议，都将终止英国的欧盟身份。

Under his plan to suspend parliament, British lawmakers were not expected to meet until the middle of October. The court ruling, however, said that leaders can “take immediate steps” to return “as soon as possible.”

根据他暂停议会的计划，英国议员预计要到10月中旬才能会面。但是法院裁决称，议会领导人可以“立即采取措施”让议会尽快回归。

At the time of the ruling, Johnson was attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. On hearing the news, he said “I have the upmost respect for our judiciary. I don’t think it was the right decision.”

在这项裁定出台之际，约翰逊正在纽约参加联大会议。他一听到这一消息就说：“我非常尊重我们的司法部门，但是我认为这不是正确的决定。”

Johnson’s office said that, because of the decision, he would return to London overnight to attend parliament’s next meeting.

约翰逊办公室表示，因为这一裁决，约翰逊将会连夜赶回伦敦参加议会的下次会议。

The prime minister said that his government is working on a deal with EU negotiators. The court decision did not make that effort any easier, he added.

约翰逊首相表示，他的政府正加紧与欧盟谈判代表达成协议。他说，最高法院的裁决对此毫无益处。

The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, welcomed the court’s ruling. He said parliament would restart business on Wednesday morning.

下议院议长约翰·伯科对高院的裁决表示欢迎。他说，议会将于周三早上重新开始运作。

The leader of the opposition, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, told his party that the court decision showed Johnson did not respect the law. He said Johnson should resign “and become the shortest-serving prime minister there’s ever been.”

反对党工党的领袖杰里米·科宾对工党表示，这项法院裁决表明约翰逊未遵守法律。他说约翰逊应该辞职，“成为有史以来任期最短的首相。”

The Reuters news agency reports that Conservative Party officials have asked the party’s members not to comment on the ruling.

路透社报道称，保守党官员已经要求该党成员不要对此裁决发表评论。

The Supreme Court case involves the rights and responsibilities of the prime minister and parliament. The court considered whether Johnson acted lawfully when, in August, he advised the queen to suspend Parliament for about five weeks. The length of time was important because Britain is required to withdraw from the EU by October 31. Parliament would then not be able to discuss the issue or make new laws.

最高法院的这起案件涉及了首相和议会的权力和责任。高院审理了约翰逊今年8月要求女王将议会休会大约5个星期是否行为合法。时间长短非常重要，因为英国被要求在10月31日前退出欧盟。届时议会将会无法讨论该问题或从制定新的法律。

In the court’s ruling, Supreme Court President Brenda Hale said the suspension “was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional” duties.

在法院裁决中，高院院长布伦达·黑尔表示，暂停议会是非法的，因为他阻止了议会履行宪法职责。

The court also found that the government had not provided a good enough reason for the suspension.

高院还发现，政府并未提供暂停议会的充足理由。

The government had argued that, under British laws, the issue was for politicians, and not the courts, to decide.

英国政府辩称，根据英国法律，该问题由政客而不是由法院裁决。

Britain does not have a single constitution; courts, instead, use earlier decisions and laws to make judgements about current cases.

英国没有一部统一的宪法。相反，法院使用判例和法律对当前案件作出裁决。

I’m Mario Ritter Jr.

Words in This Story

null –adj. something that has no legal power

hold to account –verb phrase to held responsible or accountable for something

frustrate –v. to prevent someone from doing something they want to do