Committee
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee 18 January 2023
18 Jan 2023 · S6 · Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Item of business
New Petitions
Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (PE1975)
I am sympathetic to the petition and the public interest in it, and I agree with the recommendations and proposed actions thus far. It might also be prudent to inform the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee of the petition, because that committee has a locus in this area of work. We should also perhaps invite the Scottish Law Commission to give its view and ask it whether it has done any projects in this area. Changes in this area would usually come through in a Law Commission bill. As the petitioner is present, I point out that it might be worth exploring the member’s bill route and engaging a sponsoring member of Parliament to pursue the issue. That would also involve engaging the non-Government bills unit, and it might be an opportunity to drive the agenda further. Certainly, the petition could help in that regard. That is just another avenue by which Parliament can give effect to such changes.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Con
The second of our new petitions, PE1975, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review and amend the law to prevent the use of s...
David Torrance
SNP
I welcome Roger Mullin, who is one of my constituents. I wonder whether the committee could write to key stakeholders, including the Law Society of Scotland...
The Convener
Con
Does anyone have any further thoughts?
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I am aware of Michelle Thomson’s interest in the petition. In fact, she would have liked to have been here, but she is across the corridor in another committ...
The Convener
Con
Well, if your glass is usually half empty and mine is usually half full, therein is a full glass that we can hope to achieve.
Fergus Ewing
SNP
I am working on it.
The Convener
Con
I might be less surprised—he said, trying not to be party political—that the Scottish Government is not rushing to follow the UK Government. However, the fac...
Paul Sweeney
Lab
I am sympathetic to the petition and the public interest in it, and I agree with the recommendations and proposed actions thus far. It might also be prudent ...
The Convener
Con
I am happy to pursue those things. I hesitate in relation to the member’s bill point, simply because, as a member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Bod...
Paul Sweeney
Lab
Although I note the point about parliamentary time, the ideal solution would be to do the groundwork through the member’s bill route. The Government might ad...
The Convener
Con
As Mr Ewing’s glass is half empty and mine is half full, maybe that will mean a successful outcome. I think that we agree that we want to pursue the issues r...