The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Harassment complaints process has ‘haunted’ Sturgeon
Nicola Sturgeon is under pressure to immediately publish an independent review on the Scottish Government’s harassment complaints process, after admitting she was “haunted” by the way women were let down.
The first minister faced renewed demands for action as it emerged the SNP administration had received an independent report from a QC that Ms Sturgeon told parliament she had not seen.
Laura Dunlop QC was asked by the government to look at the procedures six months ago in the wake of the failed judicial review brought by former first minister Alex Salmond.
Mr Salmond had been accused under official complaints guidance that has remained unchanged. A judge said the way the complaints were handled had been “unfair” and showed “bias”.
At First Minister’s Questions yesterday, Tory MSP Ruth Davidson said she understood the QC’s report had been completed.
But Ms Sturgeon left the claim hanging, saying: “It will be published, and it will be published in early course, once we’ve seen it.”
Shortly after the session, government officials confirmed the report had, in fact, been received yesterday morning – but claimed Ms Sturgeon was unaware until First Minister’s Questions had concluded.
Rape Crisis Scotland’s Sandy Brindley said: “What’s been lost is the women concerned and whether or not this is making it easier or harder to be heard.”
In parliament, Ms Sturgeon was challenged by Ms Davidson over the slow responses to MSPs on a committee set up to look at the way the complaints about Mr Salmond were handled.
“The flawed procedure, the one that let the women down, has never changed,” Ms Davidson said.
Key legal documents showed that on December 17 2018 the government’s senior lawyer, Roddy Dunlop QC, warned the first minister about pushing ahead regardless of advice the case would likely be lost.
The Scottish Government conceded the judicial review almost a month later, and Mr Salmond was awarded a payout of more than £500,000.
Ms Sturgeon told MSPs the advice from the government’s law officers as late as December 11 2018 was that ministers should defend the case.
She added the application of the procedure was “flawed” but never got to be fully tested at the judicial review.
“I will be haunted for probably the rest of my life about the way in which the government through an error, an error made in good faith but nevertheless an error, let down those women,” she said. “I wasn’t involved in the investigation, so I wasn’t aware of the error at the time, but as head of the Scottish Government I take responsibility for that.”