Campaigners fighting controversial ‘state guardian’ proposals have won their request for a fast track appeal after a judge threw out their initial bid to have the named person scheme declared illegal.
Lady Clark granted a motion at a hearing in Edinburgh yesterday which means the case could be heard as early as June.
The request was made by campaigners involved with No To Named Person (NO2NP), the umbrella group which is spearheading opposition to the proposals.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said it would be defending the appeal at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
A campaign group spokesman said: “We are delighted at this decision which allows us to challenge the decision as quickly as we can, possibly in early June.
“Speed is of the essence as this draconian legislation poses a threat to the private lives of every family in the country who has a baby on the way or a child aged up to 18.”
The policy was pioneered in the Highlands and supporters like Bill Alexander, local authority director of care and learning, claim the service would act as a safety net to help families and children if they need it.
The government spokesman said the original legal ruling stated that the legislation did not breach human rights or EU law, was developed over more than a decade and sought to put the best interests of every child at the heart of decision making.
Aberdeen City Council has estimated that running the scheme could cost more than £2million a year.