SNP ACCUSED OF “PLAY-ACTING WITH INTENT”

Labour today accused Kenny MacAskill of "play acting with intent" over his continued claim that the UK Supreme Court hearing human rights appeals threatens Scots law in an as yet unspecified way.

Johann Lamont, the party’s justice spokesperson, and Ann McKechin, Shadow Scots Secretary, teamed up to criticise the increasingly tortuous position of the SNP who are seeking to politicise the issue.

Ms Lamont was critical of comments from Mr MacAskill, reported in The Herald, that the two Scottish judges who sit in the Supreme Court have knowledge of Scots law which "is limited to a visit to the Edinburgh festival".

Johann Lamont MSP, Scottish Labour's justice spokesperson, said:

"The SNP are guilty of play-acting with intent, and Kenny MacAskill's comments get more embarrassing by the day.

"The SNP have boxed themselves into the most ludicrous corner whereby they support people having human rights, but want to make it harder, slower and more expensive to enforce them.

"Two of Scotland's most senior judges sit in the Supreme Court and claiming their knowledge of Scots law is 'limited to a visit to the Edinburgh festival' is a gratuitous slur for which Mr MacAskill should apologise. I suspect they know far more about Scots law than Mr MacAskill ever will.

"The SNP supports human rights appeals to Strasbourg, but opposes them being heard in a court containing Scottish judges, just because it sits in London.

"Mr MacAskill's hostility towards anything associated with the United Kingdom has blinded him to common sense. He is happy for a Strasbourg court with no experience of Scots law passing judgement over whether human rights have been breached, but is opposed to the UK Supreme Court containing Scottish judges from doing so.

"In the tiny number of cases where someone has a genuine case that their human rights may have been breached, the UK Supreme Court allows a fast and simple remedy. The SNP should stop their childish antics and actually focus their attention on what really matters."

Ann McKechin MP, Shadow Scots Secretary, added:

"This is completely disingenuous. Let us be clear and talk facts. The cases before the Supreme Court are ECHR appeals, not Scottish criminal cases.

"Even if the SNP got their way and separated Scotland from the rest of the UK, criminal law judgements would still be subject to Strasbourg courts if there has been a human rights breach.

"The UK Supreme Court has on its benches two of Scotland’s most senior and respected members of the judiciary, and it is practice for the Supreme Court to ensure that in cases involving Scottish law that there is a member of the Scottish judiciary on the bench. This would not happen in a Strasbourg court.

"One of the benefits of being part of the UK is that Scots can have a human rights appeal heard quickly and without the expense of having to go to Strasbourg.

"By seeking to remove a Scottish right of appeal to the UK Supreme Court, the SNP are suggesting that Scots’ ability to enforce their human rights under the Convention should be limited, just to score political points for the SNP in their battle to separate Scotland from the Union.

"The claim that this is a "London" court undermining Scottish judgements is nonsense and misleading.

"It’s time for the SNP to stop playing fast and loose with the facts and to listen to the senior Scottish legal figures who are telling the SNP Government that they are profoundly wrong."

31 May 2011