Legal Definitions - act of the Scottish Parliament

Act of the Scottish Parliament

An act of the Scottish Parliament refers to a law, also known as a statute, that has been formally passed by the Scottish Parliament. This legislative body was established following the Scotland Act 1998, which devolved certain powers from the UK Parliament to Scotland, allowing it to create its own laws on specific matters.

These laws govern areas such as education, health, justice, environment, and local government within Scotland. When cited, an act of the Scottish Parliament is typically identified by its year, followed by the letters "ASP" (standing for "Act of the Scottish Parliament"), and a unique serial number.

• Example 1: Education Reform

  Imagine the Scottish Parliament debates and passes a new law to introduce a revised national curriculum for all primary schools across Scotland, focusing on digital literacy and environmental studies. This new law would be an act of the Scottish Parliament.

  This illustrates the term because it is a formal statute created by the Scottish Parliament, exercising its devolved power over education, to establish a binding legal framework for schools within Scotland.

• Example 2: Environmental Protection

  Consider a situation where the Scottish Parliament enacts legislation to ban certain single-use plastic items or to set new targets for renewable energy generation exclusively within Scotland. This piece of legislation would be an act of the Scottish Parliament.

  This example demonstrates the term as it represents a law passed by the Scottish Parliament on an environmental issue, which is a devolved matter, thereby creating a legally enforceable standard specific to Scotland.

• Example 3: Housing Regulations

  Suppose the Scottish Parliament passes a law to introduce stricter regulations on landlords regarding the energy efficiency standards of rental properties in Scotland, aiming to improve housing quality and reduce carbon emissions. This new regulation would be an act of the Scottish Parliament.

  This exemplifies the term because it is a statute developed and approved by the Scottish Parliament, exercising its authority over housing policy, to create legal obligations for property owners within its jurisdiction.