The Scottish Government has spent nearly £30,000 on legal advice on referring its draft indyref2 bill to the Supreme Court.
Disclosure of the sum was revealed on the same day as the SNP published their submission on why they believe Holyrood can organise a referendum.
They argued that holding a vote only has a “loose” connection” to areas reserved to Westminster.
Nicola Sturgeon 's Government is testing Holyrood’s powers to stage a referendum unilaterally after the UK Government refused a joint agreement.
The Lord Advocate referred the draft bill to the Supreme Court for a ruling after admitting she lacked the necessary confidence in the Parliament’s powers.
The Supreme Court will assess the case in October.
In a freedom of information request, the Government confirmed the total bill as of June 28th on external counsel for the referral was £27,193.
At the same time, the SNP’s submission to the Supreme Court was released on the party’s website.
It states: “Seeking to test the views of the Scottish people by way of a referendum is perfectly competent and, standing the continued electoral mandate given to the applicant as set out above, it is democratically unthinkable that the people of Scotland would be denied such a right to express their view.”
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "This is yet another legal bill that should have been spent on helping Scottish households tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
"The Scottish Government has an army of in-house lawyers and their case will be led by the impeccably credentialed Lord Advocate. That makes it even stranger that they would be speaking to outside counsel.
"Perhaps Dorothy Bain's obvious discomfort with this entire legal wheeze is pushing them towards external advisers."
The Scottish Government has been contacted.
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