The Scottish government's shelving of a new law to criminalise misogyny is a part of a wider retreat in the face of "anti-woke" sentiment, a leading lawyer says.
Baroness Helena Kennedy KC led an independent expert group that called for new criminal offences directly targeting prejudice and contempt for women.
But Ministers say there is not enough time to draw up the new law before the 2026 Holyrood election, following the recent Supreme Court judgement on the definition of a woman.
Baroness Kennedy told BBC Scotland News: "I think the Scottish government thinks this is going to be too much of a headache."
She said the misogyny bill had been about treating women with respect, dignity and as people entitled to "the same equality and safety in the streets as men".
However, she accepted the government would want to reflect on the Supreme Court ruling which she said had created some uncertainty.
