A High Court hearing to decide confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act in relation to more than £400,000 taken from the Scottish National Party by its former chief executive, Peter Murrell, has been postponed until 7 December.
Adjournment to allow further preparatory work
The case, which was due to be heard on Monday, was moved in private by the High Court in Edinburgh at the request of prosecutors. A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said the court agreed to an adjournment to permit "further work towards resolution of the case" and that any outcome would be dealt with through the usual court process.
Murrell, 61, was sentenced in June to a backdated term of five years and three months after pleading guilty to embezzling funds over a period of roughly 12 years while serving as the SNP’s chief executive. The judge described the offending as a sustained course of dishonesty involving an increasing frequency and scale of fraudulent acts.
"The court agreed to adjourn the proceeds of crime hearing to allow further work towards resolution of the case."
The SNP has publicly stated its intention to recover the entirety of the sums taken. Party leaders have acknowledged the episode has caused significant reputational damage and prompted wider scrutiny of party finances.
Context and wider consequences
The adjournment comes as Westminster and Holyrood figures continue to respond to the fallout. The episode has sparked renewed attention to the governance and oversight of political party funding, with MPs on the Scottish Affairs Committee opening an inquiry into the matter earlier this week.
Nicola Sturgeon, the former First Minister and Murrell’s estranged wife, has previously said she did not know about the offences and described her personal experience of the case in public appearances. Current SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney has acknowledged the toll on the party and said responsibility for governance failures rests with leadership.
- Hearing adjourned to 7 December by the High Court in Edinburgh.
- Amount involved cited as more than £400,000 taken over about 12 years.
- Murrell received a backdated sentence of five years and three months in June.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June (year) | Murrell sentenced to five years and three months after guilty plea |
| Earlier this week | Scottish Affairs Committee launched inquiry into party funding |
| 7 December | Rescheduled Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in Edinburgh |
Proceeds of crime hearings determine whether assets should be confiscated so that victims or the public purse can be remedied for criminal gain. The High Court’s private handling of the procedural application reflects normal practice in some preparatory stages, though substantive decisions on confiscation will be public and entered on the court record.
The prosecution’s statement that work remains to be completed indicates ongoing forensic and legal steps to establish recoverable assets and the appropriate figure to be sought. The SNP’s intention to reclaim funds places the party among potential claimants seeking recompense through the court process.
How the confiscation hearing unfolds may also influence the parliamentary inquiry into political party finances. MPs have signalled they will examine systemic weaknesses that allowed the offending to continue over an extended period, focusing on transparency and controls in party fundraising and expenditure.
The case continues to reverberate in Scottish and UK politics. The rescheduled hearing will provide a key moment for legal closure on the financial consequences of the offending and for any restitution to the party or the public.
