Petitioner: Tom Minogue
Status:
Closed
Date Lodged:
29 October 2013
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend the law or codes of practice to make it compulsory for decision makers such as sheriffs, judges, and juries at their courts, arbiters, and all panel members of tribunals that are convened and held in Scotland and governed by devolved legislation, custom and practice, to declare if they have ever been members of organisations, such as the Masons, that demand fraternal preference to their brethren over non-brethren, or organisations which have constitutions or aims that are biased against any particular sect, religion or race.
That a register of such membership is held by the various bodies that supervise such judicial and quasi-judicial tribunals and that access to these registers is given on demand to the defendant, litigant, or plaintiff wishing to exercise their rights to a fair hearing in accordance with Article 6 of the ECHR.
Summary:
12 November 2013: The Committee took evidence from Tom Minogue, and Peter Stewart-Blacker, Convener, Accountability Scotland. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government, the Lord President, the Sheriffs' Association, the Scottish Justices Association, the Lord Advocate, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Police Scotland. Link to Official Report 12 November 2013 (538KB pdf)
28 January 2014: The Committee agreed to close the petition, under Rule 15.7, on the basis that, in considering the evidence received, it was not persuaded that further action is necessary in relation to the issues raised in the petition. Link to Official Report 28 January 2014 (550KB pdf)
Written Submissions:
If anyone has experienced what they believe to be Masonic or similar fraternal bias acting against the public interest in courts or tribunals which may have been avoided if the terms of this petition become law could they please briefly describe them?