BORIS Johnson has been told to apologise over “dictatorial and dangerous” claims that Scotland’s judges are politically biased.
Following the Court of Session’s ruling that the Tory government’s decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful, a source from No 10 told the Sun that the Scottish courts were never going to give the Tory government a fair hearing.
The paper’s contact said: "We note that last week the High Court in London did not rule that prorogation was unlawful. The legal activists choose the Scottish courts for a reason".
The remarks have sparked outrage across the political spectrum. Even the Scottish Tory’s interim leader and the UK’s justice secretary have moved to condemn them.
But SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said that wasn’t enough.
He said: “The buck stops with Boris Johnson. It is dictatorial and dangerous for the Prime Minister or his office to be questioning the integrity and independence of the Scottish courts, just because he doesn’t like what they’ve ruled. He should apologise immediately.
“Number Ten’s response to the ruling of the Court Session today is absolutely shameful, straight out of the tinpot dictators’ playbook and reveals the utter contempt the Tories’ have for democratic process.
“Attempting to shut Scotland up demonstrates the Tories’ complete lack of respect – it's almost as if they’re going out of their way to make the case for independence.
“As much as the Prime Minister seeks to lash out and blame anyone but himself, he’s the one who’s been found to have unlawfully suspended parliament – it’s time for MPs to get back to work, holding this government to account.”
Theresa May’s former chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, also urged caution. He tweeted: “This is a very unwise road for a party that believes in a) the Union and b) the rule of law to go down”.
Tory MSP, and constitutional law professor, Adam Tomkins agreed: "To politicians who don’t like court judgments: don’t attack the judges or the independence of the legal system. Don’t ever do that.
"Appeal, test your legal arguments in a superior court. Why does this even need saying?"
And the UK Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland slapped down the unidentified Downing Street source. He tweeted: "Our judges are renowned around the world for their excellence and impartiality and I have total confidence in their independence in every case."
It's understood that the 75 MPs and Peers who first took the case to the Court of Session last month did so because England's high court doesn't sit in August.
In their sensational decision the three judges, chaired by Lord Carloway, Scotland’s most senior judge, said the Tories were trying to stymie Parliament by proroguing the Commons in the run up to the Brexit deadline.
They also suggested the Prime Minister had misled the Queen.
The Supreme Court has already scheduled an emergency hearing on both the Scottish and a seperate English cases for next Tuesday.
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