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Gina Miller: Who is campaigner behind Brexit court cases? Gina Miller: Who is campaigner behind Brexit court cases?
(about 3 hours later)
Gina Miller has been at the forefront of two key legal battles over Brexit - the fight to get MPs to vote on whether the UK can start the process of leaving the EU, and the challenge to the government's decision to suspend Parliament before the Brexit deadline. Gina Miller is the businesswoman and campaigner who has twice led legal challenges against the government and won.
But who is she? Her first victory came in September 2017 when the Supreme Court ruled in favour of giving MPs a say over triggering Article 50 - the legal mechanism taking the UK out of the EU.
Ms Miller, 51, is an investment manager and philanthropist who was born in Guyana but educated in Britain. Her second came on Tuesday, when the Supreme Court ruled that Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful.
In an interview with Vogue in January, Ms Miller spoke of her early years in the UK after she and her brother moved to Eastbourne in East Sussex leaving their parents in Guyana. Her success in the courts has come at a price - she has become a hate figure for many Brexit supporters and has had to employ round-the-clock security after threats to her life.
She went first to Roedean School on the outskirts of Brighton at the age of 10, then to Moira House Girls' School, in Eastbourne, East Sussex. She claims not to be motivated by blocking Brexit - but to be standing up for Parliamentary democracy.
She recalls working in local hotels as "a chambermaid or clearing up in the restaurant" while her brother did paper rounds and washed up in kitchens because their parents were not allowed to send money to the UK. 'Lioness'
"Whilst we missed our parents dreadfully, and it was difficult juggling our home lives with homework and school, it made us who we are today," she said. Mrs Miller is not officially aligned to any political party, having spurned the advances of the Liberal Democrats, after giving a rapturously received speech at their 2018 party conference.
According to her LinkedIn page, she then went to university in London to study law. A 51-year-old investment manager and philanthropist, Mrs Miller was born in Guyana but educated in Britain.
Ms Miller married her first husband at 20 and they had a daughter, who has serious learning difficulties. She went first to an exclusive all-girls private boarding school, Roedean, on the outskirts of Brighton, at the age of 10, then to Moira House Girls' School, in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
Her daughter, now 28, has a reading age of six, a writing age of four and very little short-term memory, Ms Miller told the Mail on Sunday. She then went to university in London to study law.
But she describes her as having "amazing emotional intelligence" and being an inspiration to her. Mrs Miller married her first husband at 20. They had a daughter, who has special needs, and who Mrs Miller has described as an "inspiration" and who "turned me into a lioness".
In the early 1990s, she set up her own marketing company, divorced her first husband and married the financier Jon Maguire.In the early 1990s, she set up her own marketing company, divorced her first husband and married the financier Jon Maguire.
Her marriage to Mr Maguire, who stood for the anti-EU right-wing English Democrat Party in the 2010 election, did not last and they divorced in 2002. Her marriage to Mr Maguire, who stood for the anti-EU English Democrats in the 2010 election, did not last and they divorced in 2002.
She married her third husband, hedge fund manager Alan Miller, in 2005 and they had two children.She married her third husband, hedge fund manager Alan Miller, in 2005 and they had two children.
'Black widow spider' Pension fund transparency
Ms Miller is best known for having campaigned for transparency in investment and pension funds. Before Brexit, Mrs Miller was best known for having campaigned for transparency in investment and pension funds.
In 2009, she co-founded the investment firm SCM Private and launched True and Fair Foundation - formerly known as Miller Philanthropy - with her husband.In 2009, she co-founded the investment firm SCM Private and launched True and Fair Foundation - formerly known as Miller Philanthropy - with her husband.
The foundation says it supports smaller charities by providing funding and support. Charity Commission records show it spent £135,982 in 2015. The foundation said it supported smaller charities by providing funding and support.
Ms Miller also began the True and Fair Campaign in 2012, which campaigns against mis-selling and hidden fund charges in the City of London's fund management industry. It ceased operations last year, with a report from trustees saying it was felt the charity had met its original objectives.
According to an interview with the Financial Times in April, this has led some in the industry to label her the "black widow spider". Mrs Miller also began the True and Fair Campaign in 2012, which campaigns against mis-selling and hidden fund charges in the City of London's fund management industry.
According to an interview with the Financial Times in 2016, this led some in the industry to label her the "black widow spider".
Speaking about a time she asked three men at an industry party why they were staring at her, she told the paper: "One of them replied that I was a disgrace and that my lobbying efforts would bring down the entire City."Speaking about a time she asked three men at an industry party why they were staring at her, she told the paper: "One of them replied that I was a disgrace and that my lobbying efforts would bring down the entire City."
Ms Miller launched her first Brexit legal case with London-based Spanish hairdresser Deir Tozetti Dos Santos and the People's Challenge group, set up by Grahame Pigney - a UK citizen who lives in France. She launched her first Brexit legal case with London-based Spanish hairdresser Deir Tozetti Dos Santos and the People's Challenge group, set up by Grahame Pigney - a UK citizen who lives in France.
Backed by a crowd-funding campaign, they argued the government could not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - starting the formal process of the UK leaving the EU - without seeking approval from Parliament.Backed by a crowd-funding campaign, they argued the government could not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - starting the formal process of the UK leaving the EU - without seeking approval from Parliament.
Three London law firms - Mishcon de Reya, Edwin Coe and Bindmans - agreed to take up the case.Three London law firms - Mishcon de Reya, Edwin Coe and Bindmans - agreed to take up the case.
Ms Miller argued that only Parliament could make a decision leading to the loss of her "rights" under EU law. Mrs Miller argued that only Parliament could make a decision leading to the loss of her "rights" under EU law.
But she has stressed throughout that the challenge was not an attempt to overturn the referendum decision, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are all leavers now."But she has stressed throughout that the challenge was not an attempt to overturn the referendum decision, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are all leavers now."
'Verging on dictatorship' 'Consulting Parliament'
On 3 November 2016, three judges ruled Parliament must vote on when the process can begin. The case went to the Supreme Court the following December but the 11 judges rejected the government's appeal by a majority of eight to three. On 3 November 2016, three judges ruled Parliament had to vote on when the process could begin.
Speaking after the High Court verdict, Ms Miller told the BBC the case was about scrutinising the details of Brexit, such as "how we leave, how they're going to negotiate, the directions of travel the government will take". The case went to the Supreme Court the following December, but the 11 judges rejected the government's appeal by a majority of eight to three.
Ms Miller added that the challenge was about more than Brexit. Speaking after the High Court verdict, Mrs Miller told the BBC the case was about scrutinising the details of Brexit, such as "how we leave, how they're going to negotiate, the directions of travel the government will take".
Mrs Miller added that the challenge was about more than Brexit.
"It is about any government, any prime minister, in the future being able to take away people's rights without consulting Parliament," she said."It is about any government, any prime minister, in the future being able to take away people's rights without consulting Parliament," she said.
"We cannot have a democracy like that. That isn't a democracy, that is verging on dictatorship.""We cannot have a democracy like that. That isn't a democracy, that is verging on dictatorship."
Parliament 'silenced' Even before Boris Johnson announced in August 2019 that he would suspend Parliament for five weeks, Mrs Miller had warned she was prepared to go back to court to "defend Parliamentary sovereignty".
Even before Boris Johnson announced in August 2019 that he would suspend Parliament for five weeks, Ms Miller had warned she was prepared to go back to court to "defend Parliamentary sovereignty". Her case challenging the legality of the suspension was heard at the High Court in September.
Her case challenging the legality of the suspension was heard at the High Court in September. Lord Pannick, her lawyer, argued Parliament would be "silenced" for an "exceptional" length of time in the critical period before the 31 October Brexit deadline. Lord Pannick, her lawyer, argued Parliament would be "silenced" for an "exceptional" length of time in the critical period before the 31 October Brexit deadline.
Ms Miller was backed by several other parties, including former prime minister Sir John Major. Mrs Miller was backed by several other parties, including former prime minister Sir John Major.
But lawyers for Mr Johnson said prorogation - the power to suspend Parliament - was a political, not a legal, matter.But lawyers for Mr Johnson said prorogation - the power to suspend Parliament - was a political, not a legal, matter.
The High Court rejected her case, but said she could immediately appeal to the Supreme Court because of the important points of law at stake.The High Court rejected her case, but said she could immediately appeal to the Supreme Court because of the important points of law at stake.
In another legal challenge, judges in Scotland took the opposite view and ruled the suspension was unlawful.In another legal challenge, judges in Scotland took the opposite view and ruled the suspension was unlawful.
The UK government appealed to the Supreme Court against this, and the two cases were heard together.The UK government appealed to the Supreme Court against this, and the two cases were heard together.
The court ruled in favour of Ms Miller's appeal and against the government's. The court ruled in favour of Mrs Miller's appeal and against the government's.
Speaking outside the court, the businesswoman said the ruling "speaks volumes". Speaking outside the court, surrounded by triumphant supporters, she said: "This prime minister must open the doors of Parliament... MPs must get back and be brave and bold in holding this unscrupulous government to account."
"This prime minister must open the doors of Parliament... MPs must get back and be brave and bold in holding this unscrupulous government to account," she added. Mrs Miller has spoken in the past about the online abuse she suffered as a result of her legal battles, which have included rape and beheading threats.
'Biggest fan'
Ms Miller has described herself as neither a leave nor a remain campaigner.
When in 2016 she was asked whether she was "a remainer to your boots", she told BBC's Andrew Marr Show she had campaigned for "remain, reform and review" during the referendum.
But she said the case was now not about the referendum result, but "how we leave the EU".
She told the then-UKIP leader Nigel Farage that he should be her "biggest fan" following the High Court case.
"This is about creating legal certainty and actually, everyone in the country should be my biggest fan because I've used my own money and a few of us we have used our own money to create legal certainty for Mrs May to move ahead," she told the programme.
Rape threats
Some newspapers have focused on Ms Miller's private life. However, she said "everyone has a past" and it was "totally irrelevant" to the importance of the case.
She has also spoken about the abuse she suffered as a result of her legal battle.
"I was aware there would be nastiness because anything to do with the word Brexit, people lose their minds and it's all about heart. Actually it is about your head and your heart."
She told BBC Radio 5 live she plans to report online trolls to police after receiving rape and beheading threats.
In December, a 55-year-old man from Swindon was arrested over alleged threats against Ms Miller. He was later released and, after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, no further action was taken, the Metropolitan Police said.In December, a 55-year-old man from Swindon was arrested over alleged threats against Ms Miller. He was later released and, after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, no further action was taken, the Metropolitan Police said.
Ms Miller told the Andrew Marr Show she was appalled by fierce criticism by the newspapers of the High Court judges who ruled on the case. In July 2017, an aristocrat who wrote an online post offering £5,000 to anyone who ran over Mrs Miller was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison.
The Daily Mail branded the judges "Enemies of the people", while the Daily Express said the ruling had marked "the day democracy died". Rhodri Colwyn Philipps - the 4th Viscount St Davids - claimed the Facebook messages, posted four days after her first court victory against the government, were "satire" and a joke".
Ms Miller said "that is unforgivable", saying they are "the biggest brains in this country". But he was found guilty of two charges of making menacing communications.
"They are what make us great."