Meeting of the Parliament 11 February 2026 [Draft]
Indeed. I will cut to the chase, Presiding Officer. I appreciate—and I have communicated this to the Minister for Parliamentary Business—that there is not enough time for a bill. There would need to be massive consultation on the bill anyway, and I recognise that, but the issue must be addressed, nonetheless, as expeditiously as possible. We cannot allow a breach in the right to a fair trial—the most fundamental right of all—to subsist for any longer than is absolutely necessary.
Therefore, in conclusion, I request that the Scottish Government, perhaps in the next couple of weeks, make a ministerial statement. If, in that statement, it indicates to members that it believes that the defect must be cured and that it will be cured, we can have confidence that this is a Parliament and a Government that believes in personal freedom, democracy and the rule of law.