THE UK Government’s most senior adviser on Scots law, Richard Keen QC, is to remain in his top job despite being fined £1,000 after pleading guilty to a firearms offence.
Keen, 62, is the Advocate General for Scotland. He said he “deeply regretted” failing to keep the weapon safely stored but the UK Government confirmed he will not be quitting after he admitted breaching section two of the Firearms Act 1968 by failing to secure a shotgun.
A Westminster spokesperson said: “We are aware Lord Keen pleaded guilty today to an inadvertent breach of licence conditions. Having considered the issue carefully, we are satisfied that this matter has no bearing on Lord Keen’s ability to carry out his ministerial duties to the highest standard.”
Keen, a former chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party, is Westminster’s most senior adviser on Scots law and represented the UK Government during the Supreme Court Brexit battle over triggering Article 50.
He didn’t appear when the case called at Edinburgh Sheriff Court but pleaded guilty by letter to breaching section two of the Firearms Act 1968. Keen’s spokesperson said: “Lord Keen deeply regrets this inadvertent breach of licence conditions, which was a one-off error.”
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