Alex Cole-Hamilton, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, describes the first minister's statement as an "appalling waste of energy and focus".

He says those people suffering from problems in Scotland today "can think of better uses of our time".

Mr Cole-Hamilton asks why Ms Sturgeon's "fixation with breaking up the country will always trump the needs of the people that we are all here to serve".

Ms Sturgeon asks if Scotland would be better able to support its people if it was in charge of its own resources, and not subject to a government that cuts Holyrood's budgets "at every opportunity".

She adds that the only way back into the EU, which Mr Cole-Hamilton campaigned to remain in, was by becoming independent.

Nicola Sturgeon hits back at Mr Sarwar, saying: "Democracy is not pitting anyone against anyone."

The FM says democracy is allowing all the people of the country to choose.

She tells the chamber she is surprised to hear Labour set its face so firmly against that fundamental concept of democracy.

Ms Sturgeon argues Scotland should have the powers and levers it needs to mould its recovery, and they must be put in the hands of the people.

Anas Sarwar says the indyref situation is all about the general election and the SNP having some relevance in it, rather than actually about the Scottish people.

The Scottish Labour leader says Nicola Sturgeon urged people who did not back indyref2 to vote for her in the last Holyrood election, "safe in the knowledge that Covid recovery would be her priority".

"Covid hasn't gone away and our recovery hasn't even started, " continues Mr Sarwar.

Since the election, 4,000 more Scots have died due to Covid - with 45 losing their lives in the last week - he points out.

"Isn't it the case that the 'Pandemic Nicola' that said she wanted to pull us through is gone and the 'Partisan Nicola Sturgeon' that wants to divide our country is back pursuing a referendum that two thirds of Scots don't want right now?"

He says: "Frankly, Scotland deserves better."

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland's top law officer, the lord advocate, has agreed to ask the Supreme Court if the Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate for a consultative referendum on independence. But what is the Supreme Court?

It is the highest court in the United Kingdom. The judges, known as justices, have the final say on the biggest legal issues.

Scottish judge Lord Reed is the president of the UK's Supreme Court, meaning he is the most senior of the 12 justices from around the UK.

The justices are appointed by The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister, to whom a name is recommended by a special selection commission. This is made up of senior judges from across the UK.

The Supreme Court rules on what a law means when there is a dispute. These are cases that raise what the court considers to be genuinely important points that affect the nation.

Over the course of its first 12 years of work, the court has delivered many judgements that have changed the nature of the UK.

During the Brexit process, campaigner Gina Miller twice led legal challenges against the government and won.

Her first victory came in September 2017, when the Supreme Court ruled in favour of giving MPs a say over triggering Article 50 - the legal mechanism taking the UK out of the EU.

Her second came when the Supreme Court ruled that Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful.

READ MORE: What is the Supreme Court?

Will the gamble of testing parliament's powers pay off?published at 15:21 British Summer Time 28 June 2022

15:21 BST 28 June 2022

Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Editor

Nicola Sturgeon has set a date for a referendum that may not happen.

That’s because she’s making clear it can only go ahead if it is considered legal by judges in the UK Supreme Court - and that’s far from certain.

The first minister has decided to adapt her plans to test the powers of the Scottish Parliament before trying to pass a referendum bill.

That is obviously a gamble but probably less messy than risking a bill being struck down in court.

It also means we may never know if Scotland’s top law officer, the lord advocate, would have otherwise allowed the bill to proceed.

Plan A was to win a majority for indyref2 at Holyrood in the hope of persuading UK ministers to back it.

As that hasn’t worked, this is a variation on the SNP’s Plan B - to pursue a bill anyway and take their chances in court.

Nicola Sturgeon has also revealed her Plan C. If this referendum doesn’t happen, she’ll fight the next UK election on the single issue of independence.

Ms Sturgeon says a referendum would be put beyond any legal doubt because "the Supreme Court would have deemed it so".

Any "claims about boycotts would seem even sillier" and show the Conservatives have no confidence in their arguments for the continuation of the Union, she adds.

Scotland needs independence to address its priorities properly, she says.

Mr Ross accuses the first minster of "railroading" parliament into talking about the SNP's "obsession" with another independence referendum.

They risk becoming a "do-nothing parliament", he says.

"We won't play Nicola Sturgeon's games, we won't take part in a pretend poll when there is real work to be done," Mr Ross says.

Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, says the people of Scotland have put independence "on the back burner", and that the government's focus should be on dealing with the huge challenges which it faces right now.

He says the SNP's "selfish obsession with another divisive referendum" is the "wrong priority for Scotland" and will hinder the country's recovery.

Ms Sturgeon insists: "The people of Scotland will have their say."

The first minister continues: "Let the people decide."

She sits down to applause having finished her indyref2 statement.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister says she is seeking to deliver clarity and legal certainty in a timely manner.

Ms Sturgeon says she hopes proposing a referendum that is consultative and not self-executing will be deemed legal.

If the Supreme Court agrees, the bill will be introduced and the referendum will go ahead.

If it rules against, it that will be the fault of Westminster legislation, she argues.

She says if that happens, then any notion that the UK is a partnership of equals is false.

The FM points out this would be far from the end of the matter.

"Democracy demands the people must have their say," she continues.

If the Supreme Court rules against, the SNP will fight the UK general election on the single question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

Ms Sturgeon says we must seek now to accelerate to the point of legal clarity and she explains she asked the lord advocate to refer to the Supreme Court the question of whether the provisions of this bill relate to reserved matters.

She confirms the lord advocate has taken into account the Scottish government's mandate, the constitutional significance of this issue, the fact that the bill does raise a genuine issue of law and the importance of ensuring the Scottish Parliament acts lawfully at all times.

"The lord advocate has agreed to make a reference of the provisions in the bill to the Supreme Court," she tells the chamber.

The reference will be filed with the Supreme Court this afternoon.

The first minister says she wishes to establish as fact the lawfulness of a referendum.

This is met with some cheering from the public gallery.

Ms Sturgeon accepts that the lawfulness of the Scottish Parliament passing an indyref2 bill is contested.

Legislative competence can only be determined judicially and as long as there is no judicial determination opinions will differ, she continues.

The FM says her bill will go to court, with the UK government set to refer it to the Supreme Court after the bill has passed.

She says: "We must establish legal fact."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying: "It is, in my view, unacceptable democratically that the route to a referendum has to be via the courts rather than by co-operation between the UK and Scottish governments."

Image source, Getty Images

Ms Sturgeon is to set out the actions the government will take to secure a referendum in the absence of a section 30 order.

She says she intends to secure a legal way for the people of Scotland "whether yes, no or not yet decided" to express their view.

The "issue of independence cannot be suppressed", she says, but an unlawful referendum would not be deliverable or recognised internationally.

Nicola Sturgeon says she has asked the lord advocate, Scotland's top law officer, to ask the Supreme Court if the Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate for a consultative referendum on independence.

The lord advocate has agreed and will be lodging the request today.

It will be up to the court whether it accepts the request and there is no timetable for a decision.

The Scottish Parliament has a clear democratic mandate to offer Scotland the choice of independence, Ms Sturgeon tells MSPs.

She says the UK government is "regrettably" refusing to respect Scottish democracy.

We "should be sitting down together" agreeing a process including a section 30 order, to put the legal basis of a referendum "beyond any doubt", she adds.

But the first minister says she will not allow Scottish democracy to be a "prisoner" of Boris Johnson.

The First Minister says independence "won't always be easy".

But Ms Sturgeon adds: "Independence will give us the opportunity to chart our own course, to build a wealthier, greener, fairer nation, to be outward-looking and be internationalist, to lift our eyes and learn from the best."

Now is the time, she says, to decide and debate the future of Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon sets out the date for her proposed independence referendum.

She says it will be 19 October 2023.