CANBERRA, Australia — Five Australian lawmakers were forced from Parliament on Wednesday in an ongoing legal wrangle over a 117-year-old constitutional ban on dual citizens standing for election. Opposition Sen. Katy Gallagher became a test case in the High Court in its interpretation of the ban on dual nationals being elected to Parliament. She had applied to renounce her British citizenship and paid the British Home Office an administration fee 32 days before the July 2 election. “It is quite clear that Great Britain does not provide an insurmountable obstacle for any person wishing to renounce their citizenship,” Porter said. But opposition leader Bill Shorten said the High Court had set a new precedent on Wednesday.

Source: National Post May 09, 2018 05:12 UTC