A petition urging ministers to change the definition of adultery following the introduction of same-sex marriages has been rejected by MSPs.

Akri Jones called for the change at Holyrood's Public Petitions Committee to make the divorce process the same for married couples, regardless of whether they are gay or straight.

Former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said the whole concept of adultery is "passed its time" and should be abolished rather than extended to other relationships.

He said Ms Jones "has made her point" but her petition should be rejected on the grounds that the Scottish Government has no time to action a change in the law in the current parliament.

"I think we should just simply close the petition," he said.

"I think the petitioner has made her point, I don't necessarily agree with it.

"I do tend to agree with the position that, frankly, adultery has passed its time and divorce should be on the basis of irretrievable breakdown.

"But it does seem to me that we are clearly in a position where the Government has no plans, we've had the programme for Government, we're in spring 2015, so the Government is not going to be legislating on this or anything between now and the end of the parliamentary term 2016.

"It would be for an incoming administration, whoever that may be, to decide their priorities.

"Ultimately I think all of this is for the Scottish Law Commission, and I certainly know informally they don't have any plans."

MSPs agreed with Mr MacAskill but advised Ms Jones that she may resubmit her petition after a year.

Ms Jones argued that as adultery is defined as being ''sexual intercourse between persons of the opposite sex out with marriage'', it does not apply to those in same-sex marriages.

Her petition called on the Scottish Government to ''amend the current definition of adultery within legislation so that is not restrictive to gender status''.

Under current legislation people in a same-sex marriage who wish to separate after their partner has been unfaithful ''will not be able to cite adultery as grounds for divorce'', Ms Jones said.

The Free Church of Scotland voiced concern that the petition could see adultery laws scrapped entirely.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We have no intention of changing current divorce law and provisions in it relating to adultery."