London's High Court of Justice has ruled that British Prime Minister Theresa May must get lawmakers' approval before she can begin the process of leaving the European Union. In its Nov. 3 ruling, the court also reminded May's administration that it must respect Parliament's constitutional sovereignty. The government, however, plans to appeal the decision, and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom will likely issue a final ruling in December. Should it uphold the lower court's findings, the Brexit process could be delayed while May's administration haggles with the country's lawmakers to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty.

Either way, the latest ruling is a setback for May, who has for months insisted that she does not need parliamentary support to carry out the will of British voters. According to British Secretary of State for International Trade Minister Liam Fox, government officials are disappointed with the court's decision, although they are still determined to respect the Brexit referendum's results. May hopes to begin talks with Brussels by the end of March 2017, opening a negotiation period that will last for at least two years.

Throughout the referendum campaign, a sizable majority of British lawmakers supported the idea of remaining in the European Union. But since 51.9 percent of voters called for a Brexit in June, most members of parliament have come to accept the referendum's outcome. The debate has largely shifted from whether the United Kingdom should leave the bloc to how it should be done. Though the value of the British pound rose after the High Court's Nov. 3 announcement, suggesting that markets believe a Brexit can still be avoided, the parliament is more likely to try to influence talks on the terms of the United Kingdom's departure than derail them completely. Moreover, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn responded to the court's decision by announcing that his party continues to respect voters' choice to leave the Continental bloc, though he demanded that Parliament be given a greater role in the Brexit process. Nevertheless, May could decide to call for early elections to renew her popular mandate if she believes she lacks the parliamentary backing needed to start the Brexit proceedings.