Judges in Carmichael case to deliver their ruling today

Judges in the legal challenge to the election of Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael are expected to give their ruling later today.

Four Orkney constituents — Tim Morrison, Cary Welling, Fiona Grahame and Euphemia Matheson — are aiming to overturn May’s General Election result after it was revealed that Mr Carmichael was responsible for a leaked memo to the press.

It claimed that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told a French Diplomat that she wanted David Cameron to remain in power.

However, the memo was subsequently found to be inaccurate.

In the run up to the election Mr Carmichael denied any knowledge of the leak, however admitted he was responsible after the result had been announced.

Proceedings began at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in September, when two days of legal submissions were made before Lady Paton and Lord Matthews.

Last month, the two judges heard a further three days of evidence from six witnesses, including Mr Carmichael.

Prosecutors claim the Northern Isles MP’s actions related to his personal character and were therefore a breach of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

However, Mr Carmichael’s defence claim his actions were political and did not affect the election result.