The Spectator’s legal action in the Alex Salmond affair has prompted the Holyrood inquiry to rethink its approach. The magazine went to court to argue the media’s right to publish and the public’s right to read evidence from Salmond which the inquiry is refusing to publish.
A redacted version has already appeared on The Spectator website. Lady Dorrian agreed yesterday to amend an order against reporting information relating to the criminal trial against Salmond, which cleared him of 13 charges of sexual assault. The Sturgeon government’s separate sexual harassment probe into the former First Minister has previously been ruled ‘unlawful’ and ‘tainted by apparent bias’ by a Scottish court.
Salmond is a first-class showman and he has the rhetorical skills to embarrass the committee
Now the inquiry has postponed a scheduled appearance by Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday to answer questions on what she knew and when she knew it. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the committee this afternoon.
