Boris Johnson will not face criminal prosecution over allegations he made during the referendum campaign that the UK sent 350 million per week to the European Union after winning a high-profile lawsuit.
The former Secretary of State received a summons, issued by County Judge Margot Coleman on May 29, to attend Westminster District Court to confront three allegations of misconduct in public office.
But after a hearing in London on Friday, Lady Justice Rafferty and Judge Superstone overturned the earlier decision.
Judge Rafferty, addressing Johnson’s attorney, Adrian Derbyshire QC, said: “We are convinced, Mr. Darbashir, so you succeed, and the comfort we are giving is canceling the summons.”
The judge said the court’s reasons for the ruling would be announced at a later time.
Launching a private lawsuit, Marcus Ball, 29, claimed that Johnson lied during the 2016 referendum campaign by saying Britain gave £ 350m a week to European Union.
He funded more than £ 300,000 through an online campaign to file the lawsuit.
The £ 350m figure was placed on the red campaign bus the Vote Leave used during the referendum, with a slogan saying “We send the EU 350 million a week, let’s fund the NHS instead”.
Derbyshire argued that the attempt to prosecute Johnson was “politically motivated and intrusive”.
Johnson, currently the leader in the Conservative leadership contest, was not required to appear and did not attend the Supreme Court hearing.
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