5 – 8 December 2016

The Supreme Court has today confirmed that the following applications to intervene in the above case have been granted:

- The Lord Advocate, Scottish government

- The Counsel General for Wales, Welsh government

- The “Expat Interveners”, George Birnie and Others

- The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain

Additionally, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland has made a reference to the court regarding devolution issues relating to that jurisdiction. Permission to intervene is therefore not necessary.

Counsel for the Scottish government and for the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain have been invited to address in their skeleton arguments the relevance of points of Scots law, so far as they do not also form part of the law of England and Wales, to the determination of the present proceedings.

A further update on other applications to intervene, and a timetable for oral submissions during the hearing, will be issued in due course.