The Scottish Parliament is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyrood.
The Scottish Green Party is a green political party in Scotland. The party has six MSPs in the Scottish Parliament as of 2016. After the 2017 local elections, the party also have 19 councillors in six of the 32 Scottish local councils.
Bill Aitken is a Scottish Conservative politician. He was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative Spokesperson for Justice, and Convener of the Justice Committee from 2007 to 2011.
Wendy Alexander is a retired Scottish politician and the former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Paisley North. She held various Scottish Government cabinet posts and was the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2007–2008. In 2010–2011 she convened the Scotland Bill Committee on financial powers of the Scottish Parliament.
William Stewart Maxwell is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was the Minister for Communities and Sport from 2007–2009 and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the West of Scotland region 2003−2016.
Patrick Harvie is a Scottish politician who has served as co-leader of the Scottish Greens since 2008. He has been Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region since 2003.
Land reform in Scotland is the ongoing process by which the ownership of land, its distribution and the law which governs it is modified, reformed and modernised by property and regulatory law.
James Anthony Kelly is a Scottish Labour and Co-operative Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region since 2016, having previously been the MSP for Glasgow Rutherglen (2007–2011), renamed Rutherglen (2011–2016). He has served as Scottish Labour's Justice Spokesperson since 2019.
Same-sex marriage in Scotland has been legal since 16 December 2014. As family law is not reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the Scottish Parliament has legislative competence to make changes to the law on marriage. A same-sex marriage law was approved by the Scottish Parliament in February 2014 and received royal assent on 12 March 2014. It came into effect on 16 December 2014 with many civil partners converting their relationships into marriages, while the first same-sex marriage ceremonies occurred on 31 December 2014. Civil partnerships for same-sex couples have been legal since 2005.
The Scotland Act 2012 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It sets out amendments to the Scotland Act 1998, with the aim of devolving further powers to Scotland in accordance with the recommendations of the Calman Commission. It received Royal Assent in 2012.
The 2016 Scottish parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2016 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the fifth election held since the devolved parliament was established in 1999. It was the first parliamentary election in Scotland in which 16 and 17 year olds were eligible to vote, under the provisions of the Scottish Elections Act. It was also the first time the three largest parties were led by women.
Jean Urquhart is a Scottish politician. She was formerly a Member of the Scottish Parliament, first elected in 2011 for the Highlands and Islands region as a Scottish National Party (SNP) member, then continuing to sit as an independent after she left the SNP in October 2012. She had been a SNP councillor at the Highland Council from 2003–2011.
John Bradford Finnie is a Scottish Greens politician. He is the Green Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands region since 2016, having previously sat as a Scottish National Party (SNP) member from 2011 to 2012 then as an independent from 2012 to 2016.
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which allows same-sex couples to marry in Scotland since 16 December 2014.
An Act of the Scottish Parliament is primary legislation made by the Scottish Parliament. The power to create Acts was conferred to the Parliament by section 28 of the Scotland Act 1998 following the successful 1997 referendum on devolution.
The Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament passed in October 2014 to improve access to the civil justice system and while making the Court of Session a place for the more complex cases.
The Scottish Land Commission was established by the Scottish Government following the passage of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 by the Scottish Parliament; the Commission also incorporates the work of the Tenant Farming Commissioner. The Lands Commissioners, who constitute the Commission, have functions relating to land in Scotland, so that they address issues which relate to ownership of land, land rights, management of land, and use of land. The Tenant Farming Commissioner has the aim of improving the relationship between tenant farmers and land owners, and can create codes of practice, provide practical guidance, and must consult on such matters. The Tenant Farming Commissioner cannot be an agricultural landlord or agricultural tenant, and will develop codes of practice which are in addition to the law and the jurisdiction of the Scottish Land Court.
Community Justice Scotland is a national body which is responsible for reducing reoffending. It launched in April 2017.
The Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2003 was passed by the Scottish Parliament in March 2003 to make provision for a Children's ombudsman. It established the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland with the general function of promoting and safeguarding the rights of children and young people.
The Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Act 2002 is legislation that introduced arrangements for complaints against any Member of the Scottish Parliament to be investigated independently. It established the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, who was given powers to summon witnesses and compel evidence.
