Because while pretty much every journalist, pundit and legal expert reporting the case agrees that the amendment made to the Section 11 order protecting the anonymity of the complainers in the Alex Salmond case is an important and significant one, it hasn’t impressed the only person whose opinion actually matters: Andy Wightwash.
The Spectator’s application to the High Court for a variation of the anonymity order in HM Advocate vs Alexander Salmond has just finished. It seems to have been agreed by all parties that Lady Dorrian will now amend her order to read thus:
“An order at common law and in terms of section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, preventing publication of the names and identity and any information likely to disclose the identity of the complainers in the case of HMA v Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond, as such complainers in those proceedings.”
We suppose this is a sort of compliment, in at least two senses.
The second of them, of course, being the sheer surprise of some people at discovering that not everyone is as cynical and devious as they evidently are themselves.
First Minister’s Questions was very interesting today. Ruth Davidson had some tricky ones which Nicola Sturgeon simply didn’t even attempt to look like she was answering, and we might come back to one of them in particular a little later on.
But Jackie Baillie’s were even more pointed, especially this one:
With our trademark scrupulous fairness we’ve included the full question and answer, and they raise a whole series of issues, but if you’re in a hurry the key part we want to talk about right now is between 0.18 and 0.26.
It’s hard to believe that it’s barely six months since grassroots SNP members rushed to the defence of Glasgow Cathcart MSP James Dornan when it looked like the party’s woke wing had pushed him out of his seat for electoral vampire Rhiannon Spear.
The loud uproar over a crooked NEC meeting that effectively deselected Dornan – the same one that stitched up Joanna Cherry – saw him reinstated as candidate, although the decision over Cherry wasn’t reversed. But the warning shot across Dornan’s bows clearly worked, because look at the state of him now.
Ever since the summer fiasco Dornan has been the most obsequiously loyal follower of the leadership in the entire party, but today’s tweet is a new low.
There’s currently a rather large and somewhat embarrassing vacancy at the top of the Yes movement. You may wish to be part of an organisation which includes some very good people seeking to do something about it.
In which case you should click on the image above.
The tl;dr is that Martin Keatings has lost his case over the Scottish Parliament’s right or otherwise to hold an independence referendum. Lady Carmichael in essence declined to make a decision over Holyrood’s authority to order any future vote, agreeing with the defenders in deeming the matter to be “hypothetical, academic and premature”.
We obviously haven’t yet had time to digest the full 72-page judgement, issued about an hour ago, and in any event aren’t really equipped to understand its dense legalese.
But there’s one thing we do understand.
Keatings was opposed by an alliance of the Advocate General for Scotland (despite his title, a representative of the UK government) and the Lord Advocate OF Scotland, who is a minister in Nicola Sturgeon’s government.
It was therefore the Scottish Government, alongside the one in Westminster, who were opposing the court even attempting to establish whether Scotland has the right to determine its own constitutional future.
Colin Alexander on Shield Of The Phantom: ““2 hours ago A judicial review of the ban on Palestine Action will be allowed to go ahead, a judge…” Jan 27, 19:18
Hatey McHateface on Shield Of The Phantom: “Guardian Online reporting that forces loyal to the ooya tollas may have slaughtered in excess of 30,000 of their own…” Jan 27, 19:01
Hatey McHateface on Shield Of The Phantom: “Fit’s that ye say, Sooty? Why do James and Dave find it impossible to engage with the facts in my…” Jan 27, 17:43
Peter McAvoy on Shield Of The Phantom: “I forgot to mention earlier that due to the scrapping of double jeopardy,some in the COPFS would have pursued Alex…” Jan 27, 17:34
David Holden on Shield Of The Phantom: “I take it the site troll is getting paid by the word as he knows a lot and is not…” Jan 27, 17:26
James Barr Gardner on Shield Of The Phantom: “Woolwich Crown Court was intended to serve as a high-security courtroom and became the preferred venue for terrorism trials. A…” Jan 27, 17:09
Aidan on Shield Of The Phantom: “Of course that isn’t true at all Xaracen, in any way shape or form, the Lords Privilege Committee never said…” Jan 27, 16:59
James on Shield Of The Phantom: “You’re on drugs, right? Or is this supposed to be some half-arsed parody? Keep posting, it’s comedy gold – the…” Jan 27, 16:24
Hatey McHateface on Shield Of The Phantom: ““Our gap in legal knowledge is very evident. Scots are sorely lacking in lawyers with competence in treaty making” Just…” Jan 27, 16:20
Hatey McHateface on Shield Of The Phantom: “Xaracen You’ve accomplished the remarkable fact of agreeing with and even augmenting my claim whilst simultaneously avoiding acknowledging what it…” Jan 27, 16:14
Alf Baird on Shield Of The Phantom: ““the legal teams of all kinds in Scotland do not appear to share a brain” Our gap in legal knowledge…” Jan 27, 16:06
Hatey McHateface on Shield Of The Phantom: “The NHS in its current form is unaffordable, James. The only reason you think it is affordable is because you…” Jan 27, 16:05
Hatey McHateface on Shield Of The Phantom: “Today, the body of the last remaining hostage is finally home. President Donald Trump gets a lot of stick from…” Jan 27, 15:47
Lorna Campbell on Shield Of The Phantom: “Sandie Peggie’s team are appealing, but I’m not at all sure they can appeal the substance, but, rather, the way…” Jan 27, 14:48
Xaracen on Shield Of The Phantom: “Hatey said; “the Kingdom Of Scotland existed virtually unbroken for near 9 centuries until 1707.” Not so, Hatey. According to…” Jan 27, 14:47
Peter McAvoy on Shield Of The Phantom: “Regarding the English courts being superior or prefered. I have no legal training or experience but I can say for…” Jan 27, 14:43
James Cheyne on Shield Of The Phantom: “It is worthy of noting for a second time today that England altered its dates on a 1707 International recognised…” Jan 27, 14:13
James Cheyne on Shield Of The Phantom: “The present problem in Scotland is us, all of us are pretending we have a Scottish parliament which for any…” Jan 27, 13:55
James Cheyne on Shield Of The Phantom: “If the community in Scotland are sovereign first in the Scottish constitution then it is up to the people all…” Jan 27, 13:45
Lorna Campbell on Shield Of The Phantom: “That still does not explain why the errors were not simply random, but every one landed spot on the ‘trans’…” Jan 27, 13:37
James Cheyne on Shield Of The Phantom: “Alf Baird, It reads as I remembered, But here lies the contention with the pretendy Scottish parliament changing the laws…” Jan 27, 13:35
Cynicus on Shield Of The Phantom: ““ The law Lord in summing up said that a decision would be given in one week avizandum. But we…” Jan 27, 13:35
James on Shield Of The Phantom: “Effijy; Well said. It wasn’t Europe who planted unwanted nuclear bombs next to Scotland’s largest city or who have leeched…” Jan 27, 13:23
Cynicus on Shield Of The Phantom: ““The main issue is that an obvious mistake was made…..” ====== Should not the second word in the above statement…” Jan 27, 13:17
Alf Baird on Shield Of The Phantom: “Oor Scottish Constitution, in Scots an Englis: https://salvo.scot/scottish-constitution/” Jan 27, 12:15
Alf Baird on Shield Of The Phantom: “Yer hope has been realised Willie, its just got the go-ahead. Lets now see what legal acrobatics our imperial oppressor…” Jan 27, 11:58
willie on Shield Of The Phantom: “And while we are considering the matter of a lying dissembling judge and wider compromised judiciary where, o where, has…” Jan 27, 11:09
James Cheyne on Shield Of The Phantom: “Alf Baird, It does however confirm the Colony condition that Scotland has been claiming and goes further into the new…” Jan 27, 10:54
