Britain's House of Commons gave its final approval on 7
th Feb 2017 to a bill authorizing the government to start exit talks with the European Union.
This is despite fears by opposition lawmakers that the UK is setting out on the rocky path to Brexit with a sketchy roadmap.
But the decisive 494-122 result was another big step on Britain's road to the EU exit door.
The bill now goes to the House of Lords, which has the power to delay - but not to derail - the legislation.
It should become law within weeks.
Lawmakers had backed the bill by a 498-114 margin during an earlier vote last week.
It came after three days of debate. In this, opposition lawmakers tried to pass amendments guaranteeing Parliament a bigger role in the divorce process.
Also emphasised was setting rules for the government's negotiations with the 27 other EU nations.
Pro-EU lawmakers had hoped to prevent an economy-shocking "hard Brexit," in which Britain loses full access to the EU's single market and faces restrictions or tariffs on trade.
One amendment would have committed the government to continuing tariff-free trade with the EU.
Another sought to guarantee the residency rights of EU citizens already living in Britain.
Yet another called for a new referendum on the eventual divorce terms.
All were defeated, as pro-EU lawmakers from Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party backed the government despite their reservations.
The government didn't want to let Parliament debate the bill that passed recently at all.
It was forced to introduce the legislation after a Supreme Court ruling torpedoed May's effort to start the process of leaving the 28-nation bloc without a parliamentary vote.
Most British lawmakers backed the losing "remain" side in last year's EU membership referendum, but voted to trigger Brexit out of respect for voters' wishes.
The bill is likely to face further challenges in the House of Lords.
The government wants to pass the bill through Parliament by early March and trigger Article 50 of the EU's key treaty - starting a two-year divorce process - by March 31.
