Britain's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire speaks to media outside Stormont House in Belfast, Northern Ireland January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

LONDON (Reuters) - Likely snap elections in Northern Ireland will not delay the British government’s timetable for withdrawal from the European Union, Britain’s Northern Ireland minister James Brokenshire said on Sunday.

A lawyer told Reuters last week that the potential suspension of Northern Ireland’s regional assembly could force Britain to delay its exit talks from the European Union if London’s Supreme Court rules Belfast’s approval is needed.

“We are not delaying the timetable, we still remain absolutely committed to triggering the Article 50 process by no later than the end of March,” Brokenshire told the BBC, when asked whether elections could interfere with the Brexit process.