ABSTRACT
The Calman commission recommended in 2009 that greater fiscal powers relating to borrowing and taxation should be devolved, and afforded to the Scottish parliament. This has occurred under the Scotland act 2012, passed by the Westminster, but only after the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) was convinced that its views on the scope and purposes of the bill were taken into account. The 'Sewel Convention' is still highly relevant, since at the time of writing in May 2015, the SNP has greatly increased its number of MPs in the Westminster parliament, following a disastrous general election campaign for the labour party in Scotland. The sewel convention will thus be likely to prove a fundamental constitutional principle with regard to both securing the fundamental role of the human rights act in founding each of the devolved legislatures, as well as any further Scottish devolution or, indeed, independence.
