Letter: Human rights?

I believe a number of pedigree English bulldogs (who may well be Scottish, given our blood mix) have aimed for the Scottish jugular in transferring attention from the Nat Fraser criminal justice "human rights" case to the entitlement of the Supreme Court to determine the wording of a Scottish referendum.

A more devious mind than mine might actually see the Supreme Court's reversal of the original Scottish verdict as an intended slapdown in the context of the recent SNP electoral success.

The definition and provenance of the term "human rights" appear to have become ubiquitous with regard to the entitlements of this court as it now apparently claims the right to determine those options open to the Scottish people in a Scottish referendum. Is this not a classic case of "disregard" for Scottish human rights? Since when did a national referendum fall within the required category of criminal justice?

I doubt that, whatever the outcome of "human rights" cases referral to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, it would raise such mutterings over "self-interest" and "partisanship".

(Dr) Kirsty Anderson

Westhall Gardens

Edinburgh