James Hamilton clears Scottish FM of breaching ministerial code

James Hamilton

Mr Hamilton, who headed Ireland’s prosecution service from 1999 to 2011, has served as the Scottish government’s independent adviser on the ministerial code since 2013.

He began a high-profile investigation into Ms Sturgeon’s involvement in the investigation of sexual harassment complaints against her predecessor, former First Minister Alex Salmond, following a self-referral in January 2019.

In his 61-page report, published yesterday afternoon, Mr Hamilton said he is “of the opinion that the First Minister did not breach the provisions of the ministerial code in respect of any of these matters”, our sister publication Scottish Legal News reports.

The report is heavily redacted at points as a result of court orders designed to protect the anonymity of complainers in a criminal case against Mr Salmond, in which he was acquitted on all counts.

In a cover letter, Mr Hamilton said he was “deeply frustrated that applicable court orders will have the effect of preventing the full publication of a report which fulfils my remit and which I believe it would be in the public interest to publish”.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who formally commissioned the report, said: “I want to thank Mr Hamilton for his thorough and impartial assessment of the facts. People can read the report for themselves, but the rigour and independence of his investigation is clear.

“This report is the formal outcome of the self-referral under the ministerial code made by the First Minister on 13 January 2019. I hope that everyone will now accept that Mr Hamilton’s conclusions are comprehensive and evidence-based.”