SNP accused of 'unbelievable ignorance' over UK Supreme Court

Batsy

Alex Salmond and his justice minister have been accused of “unbelievable ignorance” or cynical politicking as Scotland’s legal establishment led a backlash against their criticisms of the UK’s Supreme Court.

Brian McConnachie, a former Principal Advocate Depute at the Crown Office, described the SNP’s claims that the London-based court is riding roughshod over Scots law as “scaremongering nonsense”.

Mr Salmond has announced he is to convene an expert group comprising the “great and the good” of the legal world to find ways to prevent Scottish cases being referred to the court on human rights grounds.

But senior legal figures told the Daily Telegraph they were incredulous that the First Minister thinks it preferable such cases are referred to an EU court in France instead of one in Britain, because the latter supposedly has no knowledge of Scot law.



McConnachie described the SNP’s solution of referring cases instead to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg as “frankly ludicrous”.

“Their argument seems to be we cannot have cases heard by three English judges because they know nothing about Scottish law but you could have 12 or 13 foreign judges. Somehow, that’s fine,” he said.

Donald Findlay QC, who is chair of the Faculty of Advocates’ Criminal Bar, added: “This is a petty political potshot and it’s the usual anti-English bias the SNP display on everything.”

“What I find worrying, it just shows what a parochial little country they would turn this into if they had their way.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/8549845/Alex-Salmond-and-Kenny-MacAskill-accused-of-unbelievable-ignorance-over-UK-Supreme-Court.html

serfboard

Surprise surprise that such an article would be carried in the Daily Torygraph - representing a party which has bugger-all support in Scotland.

Not sure if he was being serious or not ... but rather like Michael O'Leary and his PR stunts, I'd imagine Alec Salmond will get a great laugh out of how hot and bothered the Tories will get about this suggestion.

jonsnow

"What I find worrying, it just shows what a parochial little country they would turn this into if they had their way.”

The SNP most be loving that quote.

Donald Findlay QC, (born 17 March 1951) is a well-known senior advocate and Queen's Counsel in Scotland. He has also held positions as a vice chairman of Rangers Football Club and twice Rector of the University of St Andrews. He is now chairman of Cowdenbeath.
He is well known for a distinctive style of dress and manner, particularly the smoking of a pipe, as well as his staunch support for Unionism in Scotland and the Conservative Party. He has faced some controversy over several incidents where he sang songs and told allegedly sectarian jokes

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

I think their logic might be that the UK Supreme Court are actively discriminatory towards Scots Law despite their knowledge of it, whilst the EU are neutral. Don't really know much about the matter however.

A Dub in Glasgo

Shouldn't your thread title be 'SNP accused of 'unbelievable ignorance' or cynical politicking over UK Supreme Court'. I suspect it is the latter

As for the quotes from Findlay, give me a break. This is the guy is who is as much Unionist as the NI guys and filled some of his spare time singing sectarian songs and apparantly telling sectarian jokes. This may be another reason he hates the SNP as they have said they will crack down on that sort of behaviour.

dlofnep

LOL @ the Daily Telegraph. They really are running out of things to attack the SNP on. First they tried to attack their performance, but had to give up on account of the SNP taking a landslide victory in the elections, validating their performance in Government.

Nodin

If this is the first shot against an SNP push for independence, I'd say its hit the shooters foot.

Fratton Fred

Err, ignoring the Telegraph's motives for a minute, this is a cynical bit of politicking by the SNP.

Broxi_Bear_Eire

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Shouldn't your thread title be 'SNP accused of 'unbelievable ignorance' or cynical politicking over UK Supreme Court'. I suspect it is the latter

As for the quotes from Findlay, give me a break. This is the guy is who is as much Unionist as the NI guys and filled some of his spare time singing sectarian songs and apparantly telling sectarian jokes. This may be another reason he hates the SNP as they have said they will crack down on that sort of behaviour.

While I have no time for the man I have to say what he did was wrong but it was at a private function.
So what's next camera's in every home to watch what we sing or music we listen to

As for the SNP well to be fair nothing but Tartan Tories anyway