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Alistair Carmichael: Court of Session to hear legal challenge Alistair Carmichael: Lawyers trying to get legal move dismissed
(about 7 hours later)
A legal challenge over the election of Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael is to be heard at the Court of Session. Lawyers for Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael are seeking to have a move to oust him dismissed at a legal debate.
The case has been raised by four of his constituents in Orkney and Shetland.The case has been raised by four of his constituents in Orkney and Shetland.
They argue that Mr Carmichael misled the electorate during the election campaign because he lied about leaking a memo to the press. They argue that Mr Carmichael misled the electorate over a memo claiming that SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon would rather have seen David Cameron become prime minister.
The memo claimed that SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon would rather have seen David Cameron become prime minister than Ed Miliband. The case at the Court of Session was adjourned.
Mr Carmichael initially denied leaking the confidential memo to the Daily Telegraph, and claimed that the first he had heard of it was when he received a phone call from a journalist.Mr Carmichael initially denied leaking the confidential memo to the Daily Telegraph, and claimed that the first he had heard of it was when he received a phone call from a journalist.
'Proposed arguments'
But he later admitted full responsibility for sanctioning its release, and accepted that the "details of the account are not correct".But he later admitted full responsibility for sanctioning its release, and accepted that the "details of the account are not correct".
First stage
Campaigners raised £60,000 in crowd-funding to lodge a legal challenge to his election under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
That challenge is due to go through its first stage with a procedural hearing at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
His legal team has argued that he did nothing illegal as far as the rules surrounding May's general election were concerned.
Lady Paton will hear legal arguments from both sides before setting a date and location for a full hearing.
The memo, which was written by a civil servant in the Scotland Office, claimed Ms Sturgeon told the French Ambassador to the UK, Sylvie Bermann, that she would prefer Mr Cameron, the leader of the Conservatives, to remain as prime minister.
But it also stated that part of the conversation between the ambassador and the first minister may have been "lost in translation".
Details of the memo were published by the Daily Telegraph on 3 April as the general election campaign got under way.
The official cabinet office inquiry into the leaking of the memo found that Mr Carmichael had given permission to his former special adviser Euan Roddin to hand details of the memo to the newspaper.The official cabinet office inquiry into the leaking of the memo found that Mr Carmichael had given permission to his former special adviser Euan Roddin to hand details of the memo to the newspaper.
Campaigners raised £60,000 in crowd-funding to lodge a legal challenge to his election under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
Roddy Dunlop QC, for the MP, told a judge on Thursday that he proposed advancing arguments on legal issues that if successful would lead to "effective dismal" of the action.
The case will come back to court on Wednesday.