Scotland's Justice Secretary, Angela Constance, has personally apologised to a leading expert on grooming gangs after being accused of misrepresenting her remarks in a Holyrood debate. The move has ignited a fresh political storm, with opposition figures claiming the private phone call may have breached the Scottish Ministerial Code.
The apology and the accusation
Ms Constance revealed she made "a personal and direct apology" to Professor Alexis Jay in a phone call several weeks ago. This followed a September debate where the Justice Secretary quoted Professor Jay while arguing against Conservative calls for a Scottish-specific inquiry into grooming gangs.
Professor Jay later contacted the Scottish Government to clarify that her quoted remarks had "nothing to do" with the situation in Scotland and requested the record be set straight. While Ms Constance clarified the remarks in the minutes of a government strategic group, she has not yet corrected the official parliamentary record.
A potential breach of the ministerial code
The controversy deepened when Ms Constance told Holyrood's Education, Children and Young People Committee on Wednesday 17 December 2025 that no government official was present during her apology call to Professor Jay. Committee convener Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, immediately seized on this detail.
Mr Ross stated this was something he would "deem to be a breach of the ministerial code," which stipulates that a government official should be present for all discussions relating to government business. He argued that as an experienced minister, Ms Constance should have been aware of this requirement.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has also called for an investigation, accusing Ms Constance of having "misled" Parliament and then refusing to correct the record.
Constance's defence and next steps
In her defence, the Justice Secretary stated she made the call because she felt she "owed Professor Jay a professional apology." She confirmed she wrote a note of the discussion afterwards and submitted it to her office.
When pressed on why she hasn't corrected the Holyrood record, Ms Constance said she would consider it, but argued that such corrections are typically for factual errors like wrong quotes or figures. She insisted her original comments were "making a general debate point."
Professor Jay told the committee she had "never sought" an apology, only an accurate record of her views. She confirmed Ms Constance had apologised for her name being "bandied around in the Parliament."
Ms Constance survived a vote of no confidence on Tuesday, but the saga continues. She stated she would have no concerns if the First Minister or independent advisers chose to investigate a potential breach of the ministerial code, but confirmed she would not be referring herself.
