Supreme Court asked to settle dispute over Sturgeon inquiry documents

The Scottish government has been asked to settle a dispute over the release of documents related to an inquiry into Nicola Sturgeon's handling of harassment complaints against Alex Salmond.

Benjamin Harrop, a SNP member from 2014 to 2020, has written on the Wings Over Scotland website that the government has a 'pathological aversion to transparency and accountability'.

The dispute centers around internal discussions among ministers, advisers, and civil servants about whether they could claim an FOI exemption for material gathered by James Hamilton.

Scotland's information commissioner, David Hamilton, had previously ruled that the documents should be released, but is now seeking permission to take the case to the UK's highest court.

The row can ultimately be traced back to the bitter dispute between Sturgeon and Salmond over the government's handling of harassment complaints against him.

Scottish Labour's acting leader Jackie Baillie claimed that too often 'the SNP operates under a cloak of secrecy'.

David Hamilton was appointed Scottish Information Commissioner in 2023 and said: 'It is my view that this ruling runs contrary to the parliament's clear intention behind the FOI Act. 'A Scottish government spokesperson said: 'As this is subject to live litigation in would not be appropriate to comment.

Salmond, a former SNP leader and first minister, challenged the way the investigation was conducted, and in 2019 government lawyers conceded the process had been unlawful and procedurally unfair.

Salmond was once Sturgeon's friend and mentor but they had a bitter falling out over the handling of harassment allegations against him

The fallout triggered allegations that Sturgeon had breached the ministerial code through her handling of contacts with Salmond and by misleading the Scottish Parliament about what she knew and when.

Harrop, who has said he was an SNP member from 2014 to 2020, has written on the Wings Over Scotland website, claiming the Scottish government has a 'pathological aversion to transparency and accountability'.

The particular information request that could potentially