Scottish government publishes thousands of Sturgeon inquiry files

The Scottish government has released thousands of documents about an ethics investigation into Nicola Sturgeon.

Ministers had faced legal action after missing a series of deadlines to produce some correspondence relating to the 2021 inquiry - which led to Sturgeon being cleared of breaking the ministerial code over a botched investigation into her predecessor Alex Salmond.

First Minister John Swinney previously told parliament that the request was complicated by the need to make redactions to avoid identifying women who had made allegations against Salmond.

Scotland's Information Commissioner took legal action against the government last month after it failed to meet the deadlines.

The watchdog is dealing with six different freedom of information appeals relating to the Sturgeon and Salmond inquiries.

The government is appealing against two key cases in the Court of Session, including an order to produce some of the evidence considered by independent adviser James Hamilton during his investigation into whether Sturgeon broke the ministerial code.

Ministers had agreed to release correspondence with the secretariat working for Hamilton - but said it was taking time to make necessary redactions.

The latest release includes almost 5,000 pages of documents, with some parts heavily redacted.

The row dates back to March 2021, when Hamilton, an Irish lawyer, cleared the then first minister Sturgeon of breaching the ministerial code.

A freedom of information request was then made to the Scottish government for all written evidence used in the investigation.

The government had originally insisted that as Hamilton was an independent adviser on the ministerial code and he was not subject to freedom of information legislation.

However, the information commissioner intervened and ordered the government to look at the case again.

Ministers then challenged this decision in the Court of Session, sparking a lengthy series of complex appeals.

Last month, after being informed by the government that they would not meet the latest deadline to publish documents, the information commissioner confirmed he would take legal action against the government.

When Salmond died, aged 69, he had been suing the Scottish government over a botched investigation into harassment complaints made about him.

Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said the government had "been at pains to try and protect the reputation of Nicola Sturgeon throughout this and have shamefully and repeatedly ignored deadlines from the information commissioner to publish these files".

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: "John Swinney and the SNP have fought this every step of the way, spending eyewatering amounts of taxpayer money in court trying to bury these documents.

"The release of these documents is a win for transparency and for the rule of law, but it is shameful that the SNP government had to be dragged to this point kicking and screaming."