Holyrood to pass emergency Coronavirus law
MSPs are expected to pass emergency legislation to tackle coronavirus in a rare one-day sitting.
Social distancing measures have been introduced in the main chamber at Holyrood with every second seat removed, meaning only around half the MSPs can take part in debates, but are sitting 2m apart.
Constitutional Relations Secretary Mike Russel says the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill, will make changes to the legal system, rental sector and public services as a result of the virus.
MSPs will be asked to grant emergency status to the Bill on Wednesday morning, allowing the three-stage process to take place in a single day.
If emergency status is granted, the stage one debate will take place immediately.
Stage two will then start, should MSPs agree to the general principles of the Bill, when parliamentarians will be able to table amendments to the Bill.
Stage two usually takes place in a committee room but the coronavirus legislation will be taken in the chamber, with MSPs acting as the committee and the Presiding Officer as the convener.
Stage three will then move forward for MSPs to pass any further amendments and subsequently vote the legislation through Parliament.
In normal circumstances, a four-week period begins after the Bill is passed by Parliament to allow for any legal challenges but this has been shortened in previous emergency Bills.
If each of the hurdles are passed, the Bill will be presented for royal assent before it becomes law.
If the legislation is passed on Wednesday, it will become the first in almost a decade to be completed in just one day.
The last time a Bill was passed this quickly was the Criminal Procedure (Legal Assistance, Detention and Appeals) (Scotland) Bill, which stated police officers would not be able to question suspects without a lawyer being present.
That legislation received royal assent two days later.
At a briefing in the Scottish Government's headquarters in Edinburgh on Tuesday, Mr Russell said the Bill was devised with help from opposition parties, increasing the likelihood it will pass when put before MSPs.
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