Claire Mitchell QC

A petition lodged by Claire Mitchell QC earlier this year seeks a pardon as well as an official apology and a memorial in recognition of Scotland’s witches, the vast majority of whom were women.

Holyrood’s citizen participation and public petitions committee has now agreed to write to the government and to Ms Mitchell to find out more about how a pardon could be implemented.

Ms Mitchell told The Scotsman: “We are delighted that the citizen participation and public petitions committee have engaged so positively with the petition.

“Each of the committee members expressed a view that they wished to take the matter forward. We have a real opportunity to address a terrible historic miscarriage of justice and to remind us never to repeat it.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament said: “The committee was sympathetic to the issues raised by this petition. MSPs have agreed to explore these further with the petitioner and the Scottish Government and their responses will be considered at a future meeting.”