The Government did “nothing wrong” by proroguing Parliament, Jacob Rees-Mogg has insisted.
The Commons Leader and Cabinet minister said Boris Johnson should not have to apologise to the Queen over what is now deemed an “unlawful” act.
Mr Rees-Mogg travelled to Balmoral last month to seek approval from the Queen to suspend Parliament until October 14.
But the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that there was no "reasonable justification" for the Prime Minister's advice to the Queen to suspend Parliament for five weeks.
Asked if the Government should apologise in light of the judgment, Mr Rees-Mogg said today: "I don't think the Government did anything wrong.”
He told a Daily Telegraph podcast event at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester: "I don't think the advice was wrong. I don't think anybody would have thought it was wrong until the Supreme Court ruled as it did.
"The Attorney General thought it was proper advice. It is perfectly proper and reasonable to do things that then a court takes a different view of - that's how many decisions are come to.
"So I don't think there's any requirement for an apology."
The MP, and European Research Group chairman, also told the event that leaving the EU with a deal at the end of October was the "most obvious way" forward.
"If we get a deal it is provided for that we leave, the Benn Act falls away, and that is what the Government is aiming for - that is Government policy," he said.
The so-called Benn Act is newly enforced legislation requiring Mr Johnson to seek a further Brexit delay if he cannot negotiate a new withdrawal agreement.
Pressed on how the Government could leave without a deal despite the new law, Mr Rees-Mogg said: "There are legal requirements and the Government will always obey the law.
"But the question of Article 50 and its exercise is not entirely a UK matter."
However, former Tory justice secretary David Gauke – who was one of 21 MPs expelled from the party earlier this month for rebelling to prevent a no-deal Brexit – said he believed the Benn Act was watertight.
He told Chopper's Brexit Podcast: "I think the Benn Act provisions will work. I don't think it can be got round."
But he added: "I can see reasons why Government ministers would want to hint that there was some clever, cunning plan."
