Everyone even remotely connected to Scottish politics has known for months that the below is the case. It’s an open secret.
But what’s playing out right now is something much bigger than the fate of one or two or three individuals. It’s the entire future of the credibility of Scotland’s justice system.
As the long-running police probe into SNP finances continues, Wings received some slightly surprising news today in the form of an FOI response.
Based on reports from various trustworthy sources we’d expected to hear that the police side of the investigation was by this point winding down somewhat, with most matters of fact already established, detectives assigned to other duties and the ball now largely in the court of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).
There are many people in the world deserving of sympathy at the moment, readers, but spare a thought in your busy day for Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain.
Just two and a half years into the post (most incumbents post-devolution have served around five), she’s already had to deal with a lot of what sports people call “hospital passes”. But she’s about to find herself in another nasty spot not of her own making.
Readers may have been baffled by a news story yesterday, in which an event where two men insulted each other in the street (“Deviant!”, “Bigot!”) has led to one of them, but not the other, being arrested and charged with an unspecified crime by police.
In particular, many people on social media have contrasted the situation with one from a month ago, when a large male transactivist violently assaulted a feminist woman at a “Women Won’t Wheesht” meeting in Aberdeen but merely received a recorded warning rather than being arrested and charged.
So we’re very grateful to Roddy Dunlop KC, the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates (the “trade” body of Scotland’s senior barristers), for posting an extremely informative, and disturbing, summary of the relevant laws on Twitter this morning.
Nicola Sturgeon has not been charged with any crime. Yesterday she was arrested, questioned and released without charge pending further investigation. We do not even know which specific suspected crime or crimes she was questioned in connection with, so it is manifestly impossible to meaningfully speculate on her innocence or guilt (save of course for the fact that all are innocent in the eyes of the law until proven otherwise, something Sturgeon herself often appears to forget).
Nevertheless, in Scotland the Contempt Of Court Act 1981 applies from the moment a person is arrested, as the country’s most senior lawyer and its official prosecution service were both keen to remind people yesterday in the clearest possible terms, and it applies equally whether you’re asserting someone’s guilt or their innocence.
So you need to be a really extra-special class of boneheaded numbwit to do this:
But we’ve subsequently noticed a number of attempts by various people to muddy the story by talking about a “draft” warrant request, implying that there was no improper delay. So we checked up, and thought you might like to know how the process works.
When Nicola Sturgeon is finally held to account for the charred, twisted and shattered ruins that she’s made of Scottish political and civic society in her desperate attempts to save her own neck, the complete discrediting of ostensible support organisations for victims of rape will be near the very top of the charge sheet.
But before we talk about that you really need to read this.
Because if you live in Scotland you can only rationally be one of two things at this moment in history: (a) terrified, or (b) an idiot.
Is the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service of Scotland institutionally corrupt? I don’t believe so, but it’s certainly a troubled organisation.
The cost and reputational damage to it from the Rangers FC case are of a magnitude never seen before, and the actions in the Alex Salmond case and related actions by the Lord Advocate and Crown Agent have called its independence into question.
There must be structural change and individuals must be held to account.
Mia on All Or Nothing: ““days of 2014, that antisemitism w…” zzzzzz!! Antisemitism. The good old magic (but by now devoid of meaning) word that…” May 8, 19:23
Hatey McHateface on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “You just beat me to it, YS. I was wondering if Rev Stu is lying to us, or if supporting…” May 8, 19:21
Hatey McHateface on All Or Nothing: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, sara, but who cares about that? Don’t we really need racist, sectarian, twisted bigots if we are…” May 8, 19:12
Mia on All Or Nothing: ““Happily there will be true independence fighters to vote for” I am counting on that, Sarah, but, If am not…” May 8, 19:09
Owen Mullions on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “His blog these days has nothing to do with independence, just a constant diatribe against Alba (no wonder they got…” May 8, 19:06
Hatey McHateface on All Or Nothing: “Mia blaming Scotland’s situation on Da Dews again. Who ever thought, back in the heady days of 2014, that antisemitism…” May 8, 19:02
Xaracen on All Or Nothing: “Excellent summary! The fact of Westminster insisting on its own sovereignty only verifies that the concept of sovereignty is a…” May 8, 18:56
Yoon Scum on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “YEP that has been the plan in 2019 there was a vote on keeping the UK in the common market…” May 8, 18:55
Yoon Scum on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “If each event I was told was going to have a massive boost for indy actually did have a massive…” May 8, 18:53
Yoon Scum on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “Most moon howlers and NATs think that support for indy is well over 70% many think it is 90% So…” May 8, 18:51
James Cheyne on All Or Nothing: “Mia, Hear hear. It is not allor nothing, The problem is the voting system in Scotland under Westminster parliament of…” May 8, 18:37
Potace on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “The same logic spouted by the NuSNP acolytes who, in the same breath lampooned Alba for their lack of support…” May 8, 18:36
Mia on All Or Nothing: “Yes, that would be the hope. But that hope will play with a very bad set of cards against a…” May 8, 18:31
sarah on All Or Nothing: “Happily there will be true independence fighters to vote for, Mia. All the “small” independence parties/candidates will be under an…” May 8, 18:24
Broughty Boy on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “Being daft must be a prerequisite for writing in The National” May 8, 18:11
Mr Bruce Hosie on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “There is a sad need to be recognised in that certain person, going back and forth searching for political relevance…” May 8, 18:07
twathater on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “Logic dictates that there must be someone either they can turn to for advice or to instruct them in what…” May 8, 18:07
Liz on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “I’ve lost track of the number of times we’ve been told that external events will sky rocket the numbers for…” May 8, 17:59
James Cheyne on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “I am sorry to hear they are still stalker targeting you Stu, I would carry on ignoring and be glad…” May 8, 17:59
John McGregor on Let’s Make Jen Safe Again: “Has anybody seen a Good Looking transgender wumin Naw me neither Freaks” May 8, 17:58
John McGregor on All Or Nothing: “The indy supporters were played for fools ever since The Late Alex Salmond put his notice in after the referendum…” May 8, 17:52
James Cheyne on All Or Nothing: “Lorn A lot in what you say, and a lot to pick a part,” May 8, 17:51
Mia on All Or Nothing: “Mmm. Sorry, Rev, but I am not enticed at all by this proposal. Judging how the resident unionists in these…” May 8, 17:51
Yoon Scum on All Or Nothing: “I thought after Indy we would have open borders and anyone who is in Scotland can have unlimited FREE STUFFFFFfffffff” May 8, 17:49
Yoon Scum on All Or Nothing: “Inclusive of everyone in scotland Does that include filth like me?” May 8, 17:47
Yoon scum on All Or Nothing: “WE MUST PROTECT THE NHS AS THERE IS ONLY TWO HEALTHCARE MODELS ON EARTH the NHS as we have here…” May 8, 17:45
Tom Halliday on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “Since 2014, the SNPs strategy (they haven’t a clue what that means) to increase support for independence, has been to…” May 8, 17:34
Lorn on All Or Nothing: “Had England devolved as a country, the same as Scotland, within the Union – but not as a handful of…” May 8, 17:28
James Cheyne on All Or Nothing: “It is a interesting subject the Scottish parliament. The vote, to be given by a referendum with in the territorial…” May 8, 17:15