The Supreme Court has ruled that the Scottish Parliament cannot legislate for a second independence referendum without the consent of Westminster.
The UK's highest court ruled on the case on - which was brought after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set out plans to hold indyref2 on October 19, 2023- on Wednesday morning. And the decision did not got the way the Scottish Government had hoped, with the president of the Supreme Court Lord Reed said: "The Scottish parliament does not have the power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence.”
The decision means that the Scottish Government 's top law officer - the Lord Advocate - will not be able to clear the Bill for passage through Scottish Parliament. Dorothy Bain KC had referred the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill to the court, seeking its decision on whether Holyrood had the competence to pass the legislation.
