Sturgeon: Testing limits of Section 35 veto in court is in the public interest

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scotland’s First Minister said testing the parameters of the UK Government’s veto on Holyrood legislation in court would be in the public interest, claiming it can currently be used “on a whim”. “There is, I think, a real public interest in getting some judicial interpretation of Section 35 and what are the circumstances that it can be used, can’t be used, what tests need to be passed, what evidence does the UK Government need to put forward.” She added: “Right now, as things stand, as was demonstrated last week, this is a power than can be used pretty much on the whim of the UK Government any time they have a political disagreement with the Scottish Government on a piece of legislation and they can find a spurious ground to invoke Section 35 – that seems to be what can happen.” The First Minister also said she was worried the invocation of the provision for the first time in the near-25 year history of the Scottish Parliament could lead to it being used more often, citing the UK Government’s repeated passage of legislation without the express consent of Holyrood – known as the Sewell convention – in recent years. I would condemn the way in which those views were expressed and the views that were expressed there Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister Meanwhile, the First Minister condemned placards present at a pro-trans rights rally in Glasgow at the weekend, SNP MPs Kirsten Oswald and Alison Thewliss and MSP Kaukab Stewart were photographed in front of a sign which said “decapitate terfs” – referring to trans exclusionary radical feminists. “And I don’t think it’s fair or credible to suggest that the elected representatives that were there in any way share or condone those views.” She said she has The decision of Mr Jack to block the gender reform Bill has spurred conversation among legal experts, with former judge Lord Hope saying the statement of reasons from the UK Government was “devastating”, while Lord Sumption said it was “powerful”.