Tom Gordon
A FORMER Labour politician and a would-be Conservative one have been engaged by pro-independence campers locked in the ‘Indycamp’ dispute with the Scottish Parliament.
Solicitor John Flanagan, a former Labour councillor in Glasgow, and advocate Jamie Gardiner, a Scottish Conservative candidate in the 2014 European election, have been instructed by three members of the camp for the return of the case to the Court of Session today.
Celia Gibson, Dean Halliday and Robert Wallace will ask for the case to be sisted, or suspended, while they make an application for legal aid.
Mr Flanagan, of Flanagan & Co in Glasgow, has acted in separate cases for the serial protester and independence supporter Sean Clerkin.
At the last Indycamp hearing a fortnight ago other campers tried to cite the Queen as a witness and claimed their vigil was a “spiritual mission” inspired by “the second coming of Jesus Christ”.
One accused the judge Lord Turnbull of “blasphemy” for disagreeing with him.
The case now resumes for a two-day hearing, with the parliament continuing to press for the small settlement of caravans, tents and trailers to be evicted from Holyrood’s grounds.
The camp was set up without permission by pro-independence protesters in November.
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) then began proceedings to remove it, arguing it was encroaching on land that could be used by others and could compromise the political neutrality of the parliamentary estate.
After hearings in the spring at which campers, representing themselves as the Sovereign and Indigenous Peoples of Scotland, cited the Treaty of Union and Declaration of Arbroath in their arguments, Lord Turnbull said their claims had no legal basis.
However he also granted them a temporary reprieve by ruling the SPCB could not yet force them to leave, as eviction might not be "proportionate" and could breach their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
He then ordered a further hearing, at which some campers - but not the three who now have legal presentation - claimed the son of God was on their side.
Mr Flanagan said: “It’s in the interests of justice that the case be sisted to allow for application for legal aid and the securing of representation for the three people who have instructed us.
“Our clients are willing to cooperate with the SPCB to keep their vigil on site.”
The parliament declined to comment.
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