The term Brexit denotes the exit of Britain from the European Union. It is a portmanteau of the words Britain and Exit.
Brexit was a historical event on 31st January 2020 that marked the end of a 47 year-long relationship between the U.K. and the European Union. The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Economic Community since 1973. Later, when the ECC dissolved to form the European Union, the nation extended its membership to the latter.
The decision to leave the Union was not a sudden one. Eurosceptics had favoured the U.K.’s exit for quite some time, and the undercurrent was gaining momentum. This urged the then prime minister, David Cameron, to hold a referendum on whether U.K. should retain its membership or leave the EU. The referendum was held on 23rd June 2016, in which a majority of 51.89 per cent voters chose to leave the EU.
By early 2017, the British government started its legal withdrawal procedures by invoking Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) states that “Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements”.
Following Brexit, the EU law and the Court of Justice of the European Union no longer have supremacy over British laws, except in select areas concerning Northern Ireland.
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