Former First Minister Alex Salmond has initiated a new legal case against the Scottish government.

This lawsuit follows Mr. Salmond's previous court battle in 2019, which highlighted the mishandling of harassment complaints against him by the government.

While he was awarded over half a million pounds in costs from the previous case, he's now seeking substantial damages and compensation for loss of earnings.

Although acquitted of sexual assault charges in a separate 2020 criminal trial, Salmond, currently the leader of the Alba party, has filed a petition at the Court of Session alleging misfeasance by civil servants.

In a statement at the Coventry picket line, he emphasized the absence of accountability for the mishandled harassment inquiry, despite the Court of Session's ruling of its unlawfulness, unfairness, and apparent bias.

"This court action signifies an end to the evasion of responsibility by the Scottish government," Salmond stated. "It marks a pivotal moment for holding them accountable for their misconduct on a grand scale."

Reacting to the development, First Minister Humza Yousaf refrained from commenting extensively, citing the live nature of the case, affirming the Scottish government's commitment to robustly defending its stance.

This legal move comes amidst ongoing investigations into additional complaints raised by Salmond, including allegations of perjury during the previous case, which are currently under scrutiny by the Crown Office.

The legal action names several public officials and ministers, including his successor, Nicola Sturgeon, Leslie Evans, the former permanent secretary, and ex-chief of staff Liz Lloyd.

Salmond's new lawsuit follows a parliamentary inquiry investigating the government's handling of harassment claims against him by civil servants, wherein the Scottish government admitted unlawfulness and paid his legal fees.

The former First Minister's claims of a conspiracy against him by individuals close to Nicola Sturgeon, alleging breaches of the ministerial code, have been a focal point of the ongoing investigations.

While the Scottish government had been cleared of violating the ministerial code in an independent inquiry, a panel concluded that the government's handling of the complaints was flawed and had failed the affected women.

This fresh legal action by Salmond signifies his persistent pursuit for accountability and the reopening of a contentious chapter in Scottish politics. Photo by Scottish Government, Wikimedia commons.