LONDON – British lawmakers returned to Parliament Monday to pay tribute to lawmaker Jo Cox, as the man charged with her slaying was set to appear in court for a bail hearing.
Parliament was in recess for campaigning in the European Union referendum when Cox was shot and stabbed to death outside a library in her northern England constituency on Thursday.
The killing – the first of a sitting British legislator in more than a quarter of a century – prompted an outpouring of shock and grief, and brought a three-day halt to campaigning for this week’s referendum.
READ MORE: ‘Death to traitors’: Accused killer of Jo Cox refuses to give name at court
Cox was a Labor legislator who had championed the plight of Syrian refugees and strongly backed a “remain” vote in Thursday’s EU poll.
WATCH: The suspect in Thursday’s shooting and stabbing of British MP Jo Cox identified himself as “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain” during his first court appearance today. Jacques Bourbeau has the latest.
Speaker John Bercow recalled the House of Commons to allow lawmakers to honour their colleague. In a break with tradition, members were allowed sit together, rather than dividing along party lines.
The House is generally recalled only at times of crisis or high significance. The last time it happened was in September 2014, so lawmakers could vote on whether to launch air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq.
The man accused of killing Cox, 52-year-old Thomas Mair, is set to appear Monday afternoon at London’s Central Criminal Court for a bail hearing.
Mair gave his name as “death to traitors, freedom for Britain” in his first court appearance Saturday.