Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament is unlawful, Supreme Court rules

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given his first reaction to the the Supreme Court's ruling that his decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful.

Johnson attempted to deflect the political implications of the ruling: “The main thing is we’re going to get on and deliver Brexit on October 31," he added. "The claimants in this case are determined to frustrate (Brexit) and to stop that."

“It’s an unusual judgement to come to in my view ... the prerogative of prorogation is an old one," Johnson went on. He also said he was "not certain that the justices did say" that prorogation was unlawful and undemocratic. (They did, at least on the first part: the judges concluded the prorogation was "unlawful, void and of no effect.")

He continued to insist Britain would leave the EU next month. “As the law currently stands, the UK leaves the EU on October 31, come what may," Johnson said. In fact, the law also says that Johnson must ask for an extension if he cannot reach a deal.

The battle lines are being drawn for the next -- and presumably rather imminent -- British general election.

Boris Johnson has been desperate to avoid having to extend Brexit, knowing that would severely damage his chances of holding off Nigel Farage's Brexit Party at the ballot box.

But his strategy has been defeated at every possible turn, and this morning's Supreme Court ruling has handed him a humiliating favor of historic proportions.

The Brexit Party has responded in turn, slamming Johnson for a failure to deliver Brexit on October 31 and predicting he will have to resign this week.

"As soon as Parliament is recalled, Boris Johnson is probably going to have to offer his resignation or there may well be a vote of no confidence," its chairman and MEP Richard Tice told the BBC.

"Then there is the question of a general election, and really and truly that should be as soon as possible, probably meaning the first half of November.

"And goodness me, what does it say about the so-called master strategist, Dominic Cummings? I trust he'll be offering his resignation today," Tice added.

Boris Johnson should cancel his plans in New York and return to London to face lawmakers, the MP and lawyer who brought the successful legal challenge has told CNN.

"There’s a constitutional crisis in the UK at the moment were heading towards Brexit without a plan," Joanna Cherry told Hala Gorani. "So Boris Johnson needs to get back here and answer to the British Parliament for what he has been up to."

Cherry also called on Johnson to step down.

"Once parliament is sitting again members of parliament such as myself can ask the speaker to grant urgent questions which force members of the government to come to the dispatch box and answer those questions," she added.

As for the path forward, Cherry said "there are two options."

"There could be a general election but the clock is ticking down to the 31st of October," she said. "What we might need to do is, first of all, form some temporary government in order to seek an extension from the European Union, to hold a general election, or indeed hold a second referendum on the question whether or not the UK should be leaving the EU at all."

Boris Johnson has had some awful days since becoming Prime Minister. But Tuesday’s ruling that his decision to suspend – or prorogue – the legislative branch of his own government was unlawful really sets a new low.

Those who opposed Johnson’s suspension, from opposition leaders to several of his own Conservative lawmakers, have already made clear their intention to get Parliament back on its feet and holding Johnson to account ASAP.

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has been out the blocks early, saying that “the prorogation was unlawful and is void” and therefore “the resumption of the business of the House of Commons” will take place Wednesday morning.

Untangling the parliamentary jargon, this means that Parliament never stopped sitting, meaning that there is no need for Johnson to lay out a legislative agenda nor to have a formal re-opening of Parliament in order to do so (his given reason for choosing to suspend in the first place).

On paper, this is all very embarrassing and damaging for a leader. But politics works in funny ways. Whenever Parliament comes back, the politics of the situation remain as deadlocked as ever and the October 31 Brexit deadline is still happening.

This leaves Johnson with two options: try to find a compromise in Parliament to get a deal through before October 31, or lean even harder into being Mr. Brexit.

As things stand, Johnson is perfectly placed to say that everyone is against him: the opposition parties, Parliament, the Speaker, and now even the courts. If he is forced to extend Brexit and hold an election, he can point his finger at his opponents and repeatedly say that the establishment stole Brexit from the people.

If he instead goes the compromise route, then he might get a deal through Parliament. However, if he does this, he leaves a space for someone else to scream Brexit betrayal.

Both options are risky, but that’s where Brexit has left British politics. And if Johnson wants a way out of this other than being the shortest-serving leader in history, then, at some point, there has to be a risk he is willing to take.

It's been a momentous morning in London, and Boris Johnson is starting his day in New York under immense pressure.

Here's a recap of where we stand just after 7 a.m. ET (noon local time).

UK Parliament's upper house, the House of Lords, has confirmed it join the House of Commons in resuming at the "earliest opportunity."

Following this morning's Supreme Court ruling that deemed Boris Johnson's prorogation of Parliament unlawful, the Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, said:

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has called for the House of Commons to return tomorrow, in a speech outside Parliament.

He said he welcomes the judgement from the Supreme Court.

"The citizens of the UK are entitled to expect that Parliament does discharge its core functions," Bercow said.

He added that he has instructed the House authorities to prepare for the resumption of Parliament, and to "ensure the House of Commons sits tomorrow, and that it does so at 11:30 a.m."

It will not be possible for a Prime Minister's Questions to be held, he says, which will be a relief to Boris Johnson -- who is currently in New York. But there will be full scope for urgent questions to be tabled.

Jeremy Corbyn is set to make his keynote speech at Labour's party conference tomorrow, but the party would likely move forward his remarks to allow Corbyn to attend Parliament.

The first opportunity to hear from Boris Johnson will be when he leaves his hotel in New York and heads to the United Nations General Assembly later this morning.

"Undoubtedly there will be a barrage of reporters’ questions -- and resignation will be high on the list," says CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson.

The decision was announced in the early hours of the morning on the East Coast, and Johnson will likely be working on a response.

"Does he wake up this morning and recognize this is not like the other days?” Robertson asks, noting he "can’t bluff his way through" this ruling.

“Will he change his agenda here and return to the UK?" adds Robertson.

There's been no word yet from Boris Johnson, who will have received a rude awakening early this morning.

The British Prime Minister is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where news of the judgement broke shortly after 5:30 a.m. local time.

His team is now likely scrambling to respond to the staggering decision, which ruled that Johnson's suspension of Parliament was unlawful, void and has no effect.

They will also likely be assessing his scheduled speech to the assembly,

But he will undoubtedly have to face the music sooner rather than later. The court's ruling is the latest and most significant blow to the Prime Minister, who has already lost every vote he has faced in Parliament and seen his majority in the chamber wiped away.