Whatever Can Have Happened?
Yesterday afternoon John Swinney announced an independent review into the dual roles of Scotland’s main law officers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General, which have been a subject of great controversy since the Scottish Parliament was re-convened in 1999.
Wings welcomes this development unequivocally, albeit we’re slightly concerned that the former judge leading the review is himself a former Lord Advocate who may be inclined to regard any suggestion that the role – in which the LA is an independent law officer but also a government minister answerable to the First Minister – carries a huge conflict of interest as a personal slight.
But what’s interesting is that the SNP promised such a review way back in 2021, in its manifesto for that year’s Holyrood election.
We can’t imagine what can have caused them to delay it until now.
Cannot for the life of me guess why this has arisen Rev.
Maybe Big John of the Independent minds she’s some ships with bad news hoving onto the horizon.
The big man must be seeing something and it most possibly have something to do with legal consideration. I WONDER IF THE Big Man might soon, along with others be seeking sanctuary in London town.
In March 2026, just two months ahead of the last Holyrood election, the Scottish Government published an initial internal report on the law officers’ roles. That report, produced by former Scottish Law Commission chief executive Malcolm McMillan, concluded that the existing dual-role arrangements were “appropriate”.
At that time, ministers stated that any structural changes would be pushed to the next parliamentary term, essentially kicking the decision into the long grass.
I wonder how long they can stall the decision this time before, no doubt, kicking it into the long grass again?
Interesting nugget Colin Dawson about arrangemnts not so long ago being considered as ” appropriate “.
Well according to Big John they are maybe not so appropriate now with intimation of independent review.
No doubt something has changed for Big John of the independent mind. Something is stirring, But what could it be?
Thoughts folks.
It’s colonialism! Am I the winner?
Sadly no. You forgot a pithy quote from a prominent intellectual who was working with the CIA.
There will be no meaningful change. The politicians have the police and the judiciary firmly within their grasp. They won’t relinquish the power which this grants them.
Expect this to drag out at some length just so the likes of John Swinney can side-step further criticism by claiming the matter is “under review”.
The likeliest eventual outcome is that the politicians will award themselves even easier control of the police and courts than that which they already enjoy.
The cherry on top will be a new ministerial post being created to exercise this control, to be filled by some loyal SNP functionary appointed on the understanding that the ‘party’ must always take precedence over any ‘public interest’.
“the former judge leading the review is himself a former Lord Advocate”
I see.
Everybody else must have been already contracted to do other jobs.
Let’s try to summarise this:
“After a lot of pressure from various sources, the Scottish Government has been dragged, kicking and screaming, into rigging a sham review whose decision is already a foregone conclusion.” (Hatey)
There lies but to determine for how long this farce will play out, and how much the long suffering Scottish taxpayer is on the hook for paying for it.
One thing’s for sure. A few loyal apparatchiks are gonna enjoy a good Christmas in 2026. Heck, play their cards right, and next summer’s holidays will be into bucket list territory too.