It may have been signed and sealed but Brexit is far from delivered – either in Westminster or in Northern Ireland.

On Wednesday, a High Court judge in Belfast rejected a legal challenge that the Protocol, the formal post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland agreed between Brussels and Westminster, was unlawful.

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The judicial review was brought by a group of unionists including former Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster, who claimed the Protocol violates the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the 1800 Acts of Union because of the altered trading arrangements with the UK mainland.

Mr Justice Colton may have disagreed but there will almost certainly be an immediate appeal as unionist views run hot on this and any issue that tests their connection to the UK.

Sausages stay on Northern Ireland menus ... for now

At the same time, Brussels has allowed a delay to the ban on British chilled meats being sold in Northern Ireland. Under the Protocol, the supermarkets of Belfast are part of the EU single market. That means they avoid border checks between Northern Ireland (UK) and the Republic of Ireland (EU), however it also imposes certain Brussels-based rules on products.

One of those governs the sale of selected chilled meat products. Those products, that now include historic British sausages, cannot be sold into the EU market if they are produced in a non-member country.

It seems an insoluble and potentially incendiary issue (on a growing list) and the stay of implementation shows a glimmer of tolerance on the EU side that thus far has been determined to stick to the letter of all agreements.

However, there are concerns that there is a critical mass of flashpoint issues on both sides that if not resolved in good time could start to eat away the foundations of Northern Ireland's delicate political status quo.

In Westminster, the government is delivering its UK-based system of state subsidies for UK companies, which has already been called "the most important bit of post-Brexit legislation yet."

It became known as "the level playing field" during the arduous years of Brexit negotiations, with Brussels pushing for UK rules to remain aligned with the bloc to avoid unfair competitive advantage.

Ministers say the UK's new bespoke subsidy system will be "simple, nimble, based on commonsense principles and free from excessive red tape." It will establish a subsidy advice unit within the Competition and Markets Authority that can only offer advice on whether a subsidy is fair.

The Subsidy Control Bill will replace EU-wide state aid rules, which require member states to seek approval for government assistance to firms.

Traditionally, the UK has deployed less state aid than the larger European economies and there's no expectation the figures will increase dramatically under the new system.

There will also be measures to prevent devolved government departments and local authorities bidding against each other to attract business or jobs to their areas as well.

Video editor: James Ireland