Trafficking legislation champion joins Tumbling Lassie initiative

Jenny Marra MSP is supporting two “Tumbling Lassie” events to examine the law on slavery in Scotland and to raise funds for charities which help victims of exploitation at home and abroad.

The MSP for North East Scotland and Scottish Labour equality spokesperson, whose anti-trafficking member’s bill paved the way for the Scottish government’s Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Bill, has agreed to be a speaker at the Tumbling Lassie Seminar.

She is joined by Professor John Cairns, an internationally-renowned expert on slavery and the law in Scotland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the celebrated historian Professor Sir Tom Devine.

Ms Marra said: “Raising awareness of human trafficking is a critical challenge as we pass the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Bill into law.

“It is an excellent idea to have a critical study of our legal past and a Ball to raise some much-needed funds for groups that do invaluable work with victims.”

In a case in 1687 in the Court of Session, Reid v Scot of Harden and his Lady, a travelling showman demanded damages from a couple who had given refuge to the “tumbling lassie”, a girl forced by the showman to work as a performing gymnast.

He produced a written contract to show he had “bought” the girl from her mother and that she belonged to him.

However, the judges dismissed the claim. A report of the case stated: “But we have no slaves in Scotland, and mothers cannot sell their bairns.”

Alan McLean QC came across the little-known case by chance, and after discussing it with fellow advocates, the Tumbling Lassie Committee was formed and the idea evolved of honouring the memory of the girl through a ball and associated seminar.

Also on the committee are: Patricia Comiskey, Maryam Labaki, Eric Robertson, Janys Scott QC, and Iain Mitchell QC.

Sir Tome said: “As soon as I heard about the Tumbling Lassie case, I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to learn more and become involved in the seminar.

“I will give a short presentation on the latest research findings on Scotland and slavery which will be featured in detail in my edited book, Recovering Scotland’s Slavery Past, to be published in late October.”

The half-day Tumbling Lassie Seminar examining the past, present and future of the law on slavery and people trafficking in Scotland is on the morning of Saturday, 10 October, in the Faculty of Advocates’ Mackenzie Building, Old Assembly Close, High Street, Edinburgh.

The Tumbling Lassie Ball that evening is being staged at the Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh, with proceeds going to TARA, which works with victims of human trafficking in Scotland, and the International Justice Mission, which helps local lawyers in the developing world to rescue people from slavery.

For ticket and sponsorship details, email tumblinglassie@gmail.com or visit www.tumblinglassie.com.