Britain the new Norway? Stance on ECJ suggests London seeks softer Brexit

UK is entitled to defend the exclusive jurisdiction of its courts even when it comes to the EU law

The British government has outlined its vision for what role the European Court of Justice will play after Brexit. As speculated, its position papers outlining this vision state that it wants to end the ECJ’s “direct jurisdiction” in the UK.

But the papers seem to indicate that the UK is seeking a Norway-style Brexit, effectively remaining in the European Economic Area in the interim.

The UK government has put forward its position in two papers. The first deals somewhat indirectly with the issue of the jurisdiction of the ECJ in relation to interpretation of EU law. The UK wants