1. Various set up shots of Professor of Law Jeff King, University College London
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff King, Professor of Law, University College London:
"It was very clear, there are many points that rather than just the courts saying that we don't need to rule on this point, the court rather said that we think that point is completely untenable, in some cases suggesting that an argument was divorced from reality. So a court that was very divided on this question might well have given a much slimmer narrower ruling based on very few grounds instead of an expansive set of grounds, dealing with only a few crucial points instead of dealing with many more subtle points, but it chose the latter route. In so it gave a comprehensive ruling on many points, many of which could cause the government's argument to fail. And that gives me confidence that an appeal would be unlikely to succeed under the circumstances."
3. Cutaway of King
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff King, Professor of Law, University College London:
"It may feel that legally there are arguments that it wishes either to make again or to bring new arguments to the attention of the Supreme Court. It may feel that the political consequences of not pursuing the appeal could be problematic, it might be accused of not having followed up every available avenue. These type of accusations are already being made about the pleadings of the government in this very case. So for those reasons, it may have good political and legal reasons to appeal. My sense is that the appeal would be unlikely to be successful. I think that Supreme Court would have even more confidence to be as unequivocal as this court has been."
5. Various of King
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff King, Professor of Law, University College London:
"If that 48 percent (those supporting remain) is hoping this legal challenge will stop Brexit, I think they will be disappointed. I think whether Brexit goes ahead will be a function of where Parliament takes this issue from here. And that's exactly what all the judges in the case were taking pains to point out.''
A law professor said an appeal of the High Court ruling stating that the British prime minister can't trigger the UK's exit from the European Union without parliamentary approval was unlikely to succeed.
Jeff King, of University College London, said Thursday's comprehensive ruling on an expansive set of grounds could cause the government's argument to fail.
But King cautioned that those hoping for a reversal of the referendum result would likely be disappointed.
