The referendum Britain held last year to decide whether it should leave the European Union is illegal, according to a French lawyer.
Julien Fouchet, of Cornille-Pouyanne avocats located in the French region of Bordeaux, said many Britons were not allowed to vote in last year's vote due to the 15-year rule that bars British citizens from voting in elections whilst living abroad.
He said there is now a legitimate case to challenge last year's EU Referendum, which saw 52% of eligible voters back Brexit, as they were not allowed to cast a vote on the issues that concerned them the most.
According to the French barrister, these matters regarded the economic and political consequences of leaving the EU and residents' ability to travel from one EU country to another.
'European solidarity may crumble'
Mr. Fouchet said he is launching this bid out of fear that European solidarity might crumble now that Article 50 has been triggered.
He plans to take his case to the European courts on the premise that excluding Britons living abroad was unfair.
He said he supports the British people's right to opt for leaving the EU, but believes that the referendum should be re-run so that it is fair to all Brits affected by last year's outcome.
Mr. Fouchet said lots of Brits residing in France have recently spoken to him about their exclusion from voting and this is what inspired him to initiate this case.
He said he wants to do as much as possible to aid anxious Britons.
'This is not about self-interest'
The French lawyer said he is not pursuing this case out of self-interest.
However, the General Court of the EU could easily quash the case.
Once the European Council publishes its Brexit objectives on May 22nd, Mr. Fouchet will be allowed two months to submit his case.
He will also be publishing letters translated in English which will be posted to Britons living in France, helping to clarify what the position of the French law will be on this issue.
If the French lawyer succeeds in having his arguments heard by the General Court of the EU, it will only be one of the numerous obstacles Prime Minister Theresa May has encountered so far in trying to ensure Brexit is negotiated successfully.
'Divorce proceedings'
An article published by The Daily Express said that Britain's possible EU divorce bill could consume most of the negotiations, once they commence after this year's General Election.
Despite this, the precise figure of the final bill has not been clarified, with some sources suggesting it could be as enormous as £100 billion and others arguing it could be £50 billion.
She also faces much political opposition, with Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon opposing Brexit at every opportunity.
During an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuennsberg on Tuesday night, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn failed to state if leaving the EU will even happen should he become prime minister.
The Leader of the Opposition has also criticised the Prime Minister for alienating other EU countries before the talks have started.
Many banks have also threatened to leave London due to uncertainty over Britain's access to the EU's Single Market, despite Barclays announcing they will stay in the capital.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, has produced statements recently attempting to pour cold water over Britain's EU departure.
He said the English language is losing its importance in the world in an attempt to belittle Britain's influence in the world.
The President of the Commission has also said he argued with Mrs May during a Downing Street dinner about Britain's EU exit, despite the Prime Minister claiming the opposite.
Mrs May made a statement during the general election campaign where she took a stand against the EU's attempts to interfere in the upcoming vote.
It is believed to be true that the EU's attempts to thwart Britain's departure was a significant factor in causing Mrs May to call a general election.
The British Government triggered Article 50, the mechanism to leave the EU under the 2007 Lisbon Treaty, on March 29th this year.
This came after Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of triggering it.
