A PUBLIC consultation on what should be included in an independent Scotland’s draft written constitution has opened today.

People can give their views on a wide range of issues they believe should be in the new nation’s founding document.

This can involve issues such as whether the constitution should include a referendum on whether there should be a hereditary or elected head of state; or whether it should enshrine the right of free health care or free education up to secondary level and beyond.

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It could also include whether the prohibition of the death penalty should be enshrined in the constitution, whether it should include a ban on nuclear, biological or chemical weapons and whether the new state should have a constitutional commitment to participate in joint international humanitarian or military initiatives.

The group behind the consultation, Constitution for Scotland (CfS), is not aligned to any political party and its activities are financed by donations from supporters.

The charity is chaired by Robert Ingram, a retired chartered marine engineer, who lives near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.

Ingram explained: “We should all prepare for a positive outcome to a referendum that would enable Scotland to once again be a normal country making its own decisions.

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“Being prepared is not just a good motto for Guides and Scouts. Everyone will benefit from looking ahead and considering the political nature of a Scotland in full control of its own affairs, economy and resources.

“That is the thinking behind this initiative to conduct a public consultation on a written constitution for Scotland”.

For more information and to contribute to the consultation, go to: www.constitutionforscotland.scot.

All EU countries have a written constitution. Ahead of the 2014 referendum, the Scottish Government promised to create a written constitution if there was a Yes vote.

In June 2014, Nicola Sturgeon, then deputy first minister , said: “A written constitution is an important part of a nation’s identity – it defines who we are and sets out the values that we hold dear. It would be our ‘Scottish Declaration of Independence’, founded on the principle that in Scotland, the people are sovereign, not the Government or the Parliament.

“Our draft Scottish Independence Bill ... set out our proposals for the steps that will follow a vote for independence to provide Scotland with a robust platform to make the transition. The bill also sets out the framework for the Constitutional Convention that will follow independence and will develop Scotland’s permanent written constitution.”