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Expats lose Supreme Court bid for EU referendum vote Expats lose Supreme Court bid for EU referendum vote
(35 minutes later)
Two Britons living abroad have lost their Supreme Court battle over the right to vote in June's EU referendum.Two Britons living abroad have lost their Supreme Court battle over the right to vote in June's EU referendum.
The UK's highest court upheld the decisions of both the High Court and Court of Appeal.The UK's highest court upheld the decisions of both the High Court and Court of Appeal.
UK citizens are not eligible to vote on 23 June if they have lived outside the UK for more than 15 years.UK citizens are not eligible to vote on 23 June if they have lived outside the UK for more than 15 years.
The challenge was brought by World War Two veteran Harry Shindler, 94, who lives in Italy, and lawyer and Belgian resident Jacquelyn MacLennan, 54.The challenge was brought by World War Two veteran Harry Shindler, 94, who lives in Italy, and lawyer and Belgian resident Jacquelyn MacLennan, 54.
Mr Shindler, who has lived in Italy for 35 years, and Ms MacLennan, from Inverness, who has lived in Belgium since 1987, argued that the 15-year rule acted as a penalty for them having exercised their rights to free movement, and was an infringement of their common law right to vote.Mr Shindler, who has lived in Italy for 35 years, and Ms MacLennan, from Inverness, who has lived in Belgium since 1987, argued that the 15-year rule acted as a penalty for them having exercised their rights to free movement, and was an infringement of their common law right to vote.
But giving the judgment of the court, Lady Hale said there was no argument to conclude that the right to free movement was affected by the European Referendum Act 2015. But five Supreme Court justices - Lady Hale, Lord Mance, Lord Reed, Lord Sumption and Lord Hughes - unanimously rejected the last-ditch legal challenge.
More than 2m British expats are affected by the decision. Ms MacLennan said she was "desperately disappointed" with the ruling.
The UK's EU vote: All you need to know
Giving the verdict Lady Hale said: "We have decided that it is not arguable that there is an interference with the right to free movement for the reasons given by both the High Court and the Court of Appeal in this case."
She added: "We do have considerable sympathy for the situation in which the applicants find themselves. We understand that this is something that concerns them deeply, but we cannot discern a legal basis for challenging this statute (2015 Act)."
More than 2m British expats are affected by the decision, which marks the end of the legal battle for an expat's right to vote.
Ms MacLennan, who had travelled by train from Brussels to be at the hearing said: "I thought our arguments were very compelling.
"I feel we have tried our best but, having got to this stage and been able to make our arguments before the Supreme Court, we have not been able to change this law, which is so manifestly unjust."