Britain could be subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice for years after the UK leaves the European Union, it has emerged.

This week the Government will publish its blueprint for how Britain will treat rulings by the European Court of Justice, the EU's highest court, in civil court cases after Brexit.

Currently, UK legislation is subject to rulings made by the ECJ. But Theresa May, the Prime Minister, has made ending its oversight of British legal matters one of her Brexit “red lines”.

The paper will make clear that any judgments from cases which have been filed by the end of March 2019 will be respected.

But sources said it was up for negotiation whether ECJ rulings will apply in the two or three year transition period after 2019.

One source said: “This will be for the negotiation in terms of the structure of the interim deal.”