(175)  EIIR and the Golden Jubilee

As the Queen began her Golden Jubilee tour of Scotland on 22 May 2002 she received a letter from Winnie Ewing MSP (SNP), inviting her to retitle herself as Elizabeth I Queen of Scots and recalling the famous case of MacCormick v Lord Advocate 1953 SC 396 in which the question of the royal title was ventilated before the Court of Session but held to be non-justiciable in that forum.  Sir Neil MacCormick MEP (SNP), son of the petitioner in 1953, said: It would be a good thing that this wrong could be righted 50 years on in the Golden Jubilee Year.”

(174)  The future of Gaelic

On 22 May 2002 the Ministerial Advisory Group on Gaelic published its report, A Fresh Start for Gaelic.  The report states that the legal status of the language requires legislation akin to that which exists for the furtherance of the Welsh language.  Public bodies would be required to institute a bilingual English/Gaelic policy for all activities and publications.  A Gaelic Language Bill to this effect is already being promoted by Mike Russell MSP (SNP).  The report also recommends the establishment of a Gaelic development agency (Bord na Gaidhlig).  The Culture Minister, Mike Watson, said: I shall consider carefully the report’s proposals for that new body and the necessary resources.”