Supreme Court accused of 'mission creep' threat to Scots law

A MINISTER has warned that Scots law will face continual upheaval if issues around devolution are not dealt with.

Fiona Hyslop, external affairs minister, accused the Supreme Court in London of "mission creep", taking authority away from Scotland by stealth.

Her comments came after Lord Advocate Jim Wallace submitted draft clauses to the Scotland Bill, which would create a route of appeal to the Supreme Court in criminal cases.

Ms Hyslop said: "The problem is with the content of the Scotland Act. Every time there's a law passed under devolution, whether it's rape law or criminal justice or sexual offences, under the Scotland Act, unless we change it, it leaves us more vulnerable to challenges."

She added: "There is a real problem that the UK Supreme Court is having mission creep, where it is not just human rights issues that can be referred, it is also other appeal cases."