Brexit: May to initiate process by March-end

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday said she will formally begin the Brexit process in "the first quarter of 2017".

May's announcement on triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty -- which begins the formal negotiation process -- means that Britain is set to leave the European Union (EU) by the summer of 2019, BBC reported.

She also promised a bill to remove the European Communities Act 1972 from the statute book.

She said this would make Britain an "independent, sovereign nation" and that the repeal of the 1972 Act will not take effect until the country leaves the EU under Article 50.

It will be contained in a "Great Repeal Bill", promised in the next Queen's Speech, which will also enshrine all existing EU law into British law, the BBC added.

This will allow the government to seek to keep, amend or cancel any legislation once Brexit has been completed. The repeal bill will also end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Britain.

May, who had previously only said she would not trigger it in 2016, will be making a speech on Brexit later to the Conservative Party conference, which is getting underway in Birmingham.

--IANS

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