Nicola Sturgeon has said the Scottish Government spending £136,000 on legal fees in the Brexit case at the Supreme Court was "absolutely essential".
She said the case raised "fundamental issues" about the rights of people in Scotland and the Scottish Government was right to defend its interests in "the most important constitutional law case for many many years".
Conservative MSP Maurice Golden asked the First Minister at Holyrood on whether the spend was "worthwhile" given the verdict.
She said: "I not only think it was worthwhile for the Scottish Government to be represented in that case, I think it was absolutely essential for the Scottish Government to be represented in that case.
"The Supreme Court case was necessary to force the UK Government to enact the legislation that is currently going through the Westminster parliament before the triggering of Article 50.
"The case also raised fundamental issues about the rights of people in Scotland and the role of this parliament.
"I do think it was absolutely right that this government, like the government in Wales, defended our interest in what was the most important constitutional law case for many many years."
Mr Golden said the SNP should cut out the "needless spend" on furthering the independence campaign in favour of growing the economy.
He added: "This SNP government will literally do and say anything in the process of tearing our union apart and they don't care how much Scottish taxpayers' money they squander in the process."
Ms Sturgeon said Mr Golden should ask his party colleagues in Westminster to reveal how much they spent on the case "which they always knew they were going to lose".
The court dismissed the UK Government's appeal on the case, ruling parliament should give approval before Article 50 can be triggered, but found ministers did not need to ask permission from devolved administrations, including the Scottish Government.
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