Scottish Parliamentary Group

Maclays’ Parliamentary Group provides a seamless parliamentary advice service by combining incisive advice on administrative and public law issues with public policy acumen. We can advise on parliamentary procedure, drafting bills and statutory orders, and challenging Scottish legislation through the courts, and now offer monitoring and public advocacy services as well. Although our location gives us the ideal opportunity to focus on Scottish parliamentary issues, we can also deal with parliamentary issues at the UK and European levels.

We were one of the first firms to recognise the commercial opportunities offered to clients for speedy and indigenous law reform. We presented the first business petition to the Scottish Parliament, calling for legislation to allow landlords and tenants to opt out of the provisions of the Tenancy of Shops Act 1949. This was a perceptive choice of subject, since the centrepiece of the Scottish Parliament’s first session has been wide-ranging reforms to Scots heritable property law.

Examples of our recent work include advice on promoting Private Bills in the Scottish Parliament on diverse issues such as land conditions, navigation rights and local authority powers; advice for clients attending meetings of Scottish Parliamentary Committees to give evidence and attending those meetings with clients; advice on responding to Petitions before the Scottish and European Parliaments; reviewing and revising draft orders on regulation of care homes for the Scottish Executive; and providing detailed responses to Scottish Parliamentary and Scottish Executive consultation exercises.

To contact our Parliamentary group please contact Michael Dean.