The “integrity” of the Scottish Parliament is under threat because of plans to press ahead with the scrapping of corroboration in criminal trials, Alex Salmond has been told.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson pressed the First Minister on the issue, while Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie followed with an intervention urging Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to be overruled and the plans scrapped.
The centuries-old rule means evidence must come from at least two independent sources. Critics say it can deny justice to people, particularly in rape cases, but there are concerns that the change is being made too quickly and without necessary safeguards.
In light of those concerns, Mr MacAskill said former high court judge Lord Bonomy will lead a special group looking at what might be needed to prevent miscarriages of justice. But he is also committed to keeping the intention to scrap the rule within the Bill.
His announcement came as Holyrood’s Justice Committee said the case has not been made to ditch corroboration.
Ms Davidson said: “This is now about the integrity of this Parliament. What we as members are being asked to do is to vote through a Bill which we know to be deeply flawed on the grounds that Kenny MacAskill says he’ll sort it later.
“There is an obvious solution here leave the scrapping of corroboration out of the Bill, ask Lord Bonomy to report on the whole issue and then let us look at it again. Surely it is better to make good law later than bad law now.”
Mr Rennie added: “Appointing Lord Bonomy doesn’t restore justice it simply papers over the cracks with a veneer of respectability.”
Mr Salmond said the attack is unfair as he backed his minister.
“It’s not a quick fix, it’s a distinguished judge who’s looking to make absolutely certain that as this change is made, appropriate safeguards are there to prevent miscarriages of justice,” he said.
“That is a substantial point and any recommendations before implementation would have to come back to the committee, back for discussion, and back to this Parliament for approval.
“By definition, this change cannot take place unless and until this Parliament is satisfied with the proposals that come forward.”
Meanwhile, the First Minister came under pressure from Labour leader Johann Lamont to name a chief executive from a major company who supported Scotland leaving the UK.
Ms Lamont asked him three times to state which company bosses were in favour of Scotland becoming independent but the First Minister did not name any individual or firm.
Instead he said the organisation Business for Scotland included “hundreds” of business people who backed independence.
Ms Lamont demanded: “At what point does the First Minister acknowledge that the chief executive of BP, that our supermarkets, that ICAS, maybe know what they are talking about and accept that leaving the UK would be bad for the people of Scotland?”
Mr Salmond responded by highlighting a report in the Financial Times that the UK Government was using the “dark arts”, saying a senior defence executive was claiming “the UK Government is putting pressure on companies to speak out against independence”.