Scotland’s Ecocide Bill is pure moral posturing

Here we go again. The Scottish parliament risks embarking on yet another exercise in legislative virtue signalling: the Labour MSP Monica Lennon’s emotively titled Ecocide Bill. The Scottish government is reportedly looking favourably on this legislation, which would make destroying the environment a criminal offence punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Needless to say, destroying the environment – intentionally or recklessly – is already illegal under numerous statutes: the Environmental Protection Act, the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and the Climate Change Act, to name but three. But, like the ill-fated Named Person Act, the Gender Recognition Reform Bill or the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, this Ecocide Bill is designed to ‘send a message’. That message being: damaging the environment is a really, very bad thing indeed and should be opposed by all right-thinking people.

Much like those earlier legislative missteps, the unintelligible Ecocide Bill, if it goes the distance, will repealed, ignored, or, most likely, ruled ultra vires – beyond the powers of the Scottish Parliament.