3.3 The Scottish Parliament
In Week 1 you learnt about the powers of the Scottish Parliament established by the Scotland Act 1998. Activity 2 asks you to explore the history of previous Scottish Parliaments.
Activity 2 History of the Scottish Parliament
(Allow 20 minutes)
The interactive timeline below highlights a number of Acts of key importance to Scottish history, and enables you to access and explore original copies. Reference is also made to a number of individuals who held key positions or sought changes in the law.
History of Scotttish Parliament timeline
You should now spend some time exploring the timeline. You do not need to explore every detail; look at some of the key dates and explore the events which are of interest to you. Make a note of anything you find interesting or surprising.
Comment
The course authors found a number of items on the timeline of interest. These included:
- the language used in the early Acts of Parliament; how wordy they were and how individuals were often referred to with reference to their location or estate
- that Acts only began to be recorded in Scots from 1424 (previously Latin had been used)
- how Parliament had worked to ensure that the monarch ruled and worked within the laws of Scotland from late medieval times (1445)
- when the first opposition to the ruling political party began to emerge (1669)
- the length of time it took for ‘one person one vote’ to emerge (1928) when voting reforms began in 1832. That women gained to right to vote in 1918.
OpenLearn - Law and change: Scottish legal heroes
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