§ 24. Mr. BrowneTo ask the Advocate-General what subjects have been raised with her as devolution issues in the context of applications to Scottish criminal courts. [109634]
The Advocate-General for ScotlandDevolution issues raised by the defence in criminal cases have mainly focused on the right to a fair trial which is set out in Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Some of the principal matters raised include: the admissibility of evidence; delays in trials; the right to an "independent and impartial tribunal"; prejudicial pre-trial publicity; access to a solicitor; cases under the Road Traffic Acts; and legal aid questions. Devolution issues focusing on other Convention articles have also been raised but less frequently.