BORIS Johnson insisted that he will not delay Brexit, despite his lawyers saying he will comply with legislation calling for the October 31 exit date to be postponed if no agreement is reached.
The Prime Minister accepted he must send a letter requesting a delay to Brexit beyond the Halloween deadline if no deal is agreed with Parliament by October 19, Scotland's highest civil court heard.
But Johnson later said the options facing the country were his proposed new Brexit deal or leaving without an agreement, "but no delay".
The Prime Minister has previously said "we will obey the law" but will also leave on October 31 in any circumstance, without specifying how he would achieve the apparently contradictory goals.
He has also declared he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than ask for a delay.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson 'will seek Brexit delay if no deal agreed by October 19'
Any extension to the Article 50 process – the mechanism by which the UK leaves the European Union – would have to be agreed by all 27 other EU leaders.
The legal action – led by SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC, businessman Vince Dale and Jolyon Maugham QC – asked the court to require Mr Johnson to seek an extension to avoid leaving the EU without a deal.
Andrew Webster QC, representing the UK Government, said the documents it has submitted to the court are a "clear statement" as to what the Prime Minister will do.
He argued there is no need for an order to be made forcing a letter requesting an Article 50 extension to be sent under the terms of the Benn Act, because the court has it on record it will be sent.
Judge Lord Pentland is to announce his decision on Monday.
Maugham said the Prime Minister's submission said "he would send the letter mandated by the Benn Act" and would not "frustrate" attempts to get an extension.
He added: "We want to see the courts tell him that 'unless you send the letter, no later than October 19, unless you cease trying to frustrate Parliament's intention, there will be personal consequences for you, you could go to prison'."
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