U.K. lawyers have criticised the EU Commission’s decision to block the U.K. from joining a legal cooperation pact that would ensure the U.K. continues to get mutual recognition of court judgments in Europe.

The pact, known as the Lugano Convention, is an international treaty negotiated by the EU that clarifies which national courts have jurisdiction in cross-border civil and commercial disputes and ensures that judgments in such disputes can be enforced across borders.