MPs returned to the UK parliament as it resumed its activities on Wednesday, after the Supreme Court ruling that Boris Johnson's decision to suspend it was unlawful.

Johnson will address parliament later in the day, after a series of his ministers face MPs.

The prime minister, who flew back earlier than planned from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said he will respect the court's ruling, even though he disagrees with it.

First up in parliament was the government's senior legal adviser, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, who said the government had acted in "good faith" when suspending parliament for five weeks.

The government said the suspension – proroguing to use the official British term – was standard practice ahead of a Queen's Speech, which is the formal occasion when their legislative plans for the next year or so are set out.

Critics said the suspension of parliament had been a deliberate tactic to try to thwart MPs who want to stop Brexit happening on 31 October without a deal between the UK and the European Union (EU).

UK supreme court rules parliament suspension unlawful

Analysis: What next for Boris Johnson?

The supreme court, in its landmark ruling, said prorogation normally lasted four to six days and it could see no evidence for a five-week break. It concluded therefore that the suspension was unlawful and void.

In heated scenes in the House of Commons, the attorney general called MPs a "disgrace" for trying to stop Brexit happening and said they had "no moral right to sit on these green benches."

He said it was a "dead parliament," adding that MPs opposed to Brexit were "too cowardly" to call an election at which they might be voted out of office.

MPs opposed to the government's Brexit strategy expressed anger at Cox's comments.

Rory Stewart, whose question prompted Cox's outburst, tweeted: "I am horrified that when I asked the attorney general to confirm the principle of the sovereignty of Parliament that he appears to have replied – over the shouts of the House – that 'this Parliament is a disgrace.' Our democracy can only be and must remain founded in Parliament." 

In a 2016 referendum, British voters backed leaving the EU by 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent. But there has been no political agreement on the terms of the UK's departure so far.

The UK is currently due to leave the EU on 31 October. Johnson said it will happen whether or not the UK and EU have agreed a deal.

But a majority of MPs oppose the idea of the UK leaving the bloc without a deal and before parliament was suspended, rushed through a law which means Johnson will have to ask the EU to delay Brexit if no deal has been agreed by 19 October.