This is the first of two workshops exploring the implications of a referendum for Scotland’s constitution.  This workshop focuses on the constitutional implications of a yes vote; the second, to be held at the University of Glasgow on 26 November 2013, will discuss what constitutional changes might nevertheless be desirable in the event of a no vote. 

The widely shared assumption – endorsed by the Scottish Government – is that an independent Scotland would join the overwhelming majority of nations in adopting a written constitution.  In this workshop we will explore a range of issues raised by the prospect of a written Scottish constitution, including: the process for adopting a constitution and interim constitutional arrangements; the content of a written constitution, covering both substantive values and institutional questions; and the legal status of a written constitution, exploring models of entrenchment, interpretation and amendment, as well as the relationship of the constitution to other regional and global legal orders. 

Attendance at the workshop is free, but numbers are limited. 

To register, please contact Jan Bissett.

The workshop will be followed by the 2013 Public Law Lecture, to be delivered by Professor Christine Bell, entitled Constitutional Transitions: the Peculiarities of the British and the Politics of Comparison.  The lecture is hosted by the School of Law at the University of Strathclyde and sponsored by the journal Public Law, a Sweet & Maxwell publication.  Attendees at the workshop are warmly invited to attend the lecture, but must register separately.  For further details, and to register, please visit: http://2013publiclaw.eventbrite.co.uk/.