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The UK government asked the country’s top judges to throw out a fresh legal push for Scottish independence from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
The semi-autonomous government in Edinburgh asked the UK Supreme Court to weigh whether it can call a second referendum without approval from the ruling Conservative Party in Westminster. Sturgeon reinvigorated her bid for independence in June when she announced a referendum bill that set out a pathway to a second Scottish vote in October 2023. But she is asking the UK court for its legal backing first.
However, lawyers for the UK government argued that it was “not appropriate for courts to be involved at this stage” and urged the judges to practice “judicial abstinence.”
The resurfacing of questions over the union — a matter that’s part of the bedrock of the Conservative Party’s makeup — is sure to heighten tensions between London and Edinburgh, while adding to Prime Minister Liz Truss’s challenges as she hemorrhages voter support and comes under intense pressure from Tory lawmakers over economic and financial policy.
“It draws courts into policy making and legislative functions,” James Eadie, the UK government’s lawyer, said in court on Tuesday.
Read more: Scottish Independence Debate Adds to Truss’s Troubles
Dorothy Bain, Scotland’s senior lawyer, said at the start of the case on Tuesday that the case was at a necessary stage to be considered and it was in the public interest of Scotland and the rest of the UK for a decision to be made.
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