Alex Salmond has officially launched legal action against the Scottish Government over the way it handled sexual harassment complaints levelled at him.
The former First Minister is seeking judicial review of the procedure that Nicola Sturgeon’s administration used when investigating the allegations.
The petition has been lodged with the Court of Session in Edinburgh, the BBC has reported.
Two harassment complaints were made by Scottish Government staff in January.
They were investigated by the government and details handed to the police, who say they are assessing the information.
Mr Salmond claims that the investigation against him by senior civil servants was “unfair and unjust”.
He said he had not been given the chance to “see and therefore to properly challenge the case against me”.
The Scottish Government has said a statement issued by Mr Salmond on Thursday complaining about their procedures contained “significant errors”.
Ms Sturgeon said the government would “defend its position vigorously”.
The Daily Record published details of one of the two complaints over the weekend.
It alleges a sexual assault took place in a room in December 2013 in Bute House, the first minister’s official residence.
Mr Salmond has admitted he is “no saint” and had “made many mistakes”.
He said: “But I have not sexually harassed anyone and I certainly have not been engaged in criminality.”
