The convener of Scotland's Citizens' Assembly has said the project could lead to a way of "doing politics differently".
Speaking at the third meeting of the body, Kate Wimpress said she believes it could change the way democracy is conducted in Scotland.
Set up last year by the Scottish Government, the Citizens' Assembly – which is independent from government – recruited 120 people in a bid to create a "mini public" based on criteria which included age, sex, gender, disabilities and voting patterns to tackle some of the major constitutional issues facing Scotland.
The First Minister outlined three questions for the Assembly, which is being held at the Golden Jubilee Hotel in Clydebank, to answer with a view to producing a report complete with non-binding recommendations at the end of the process, which will be laid before the Scottish Parliament.
The issues to be discussed were about the type of country Scotland will be in the future, the information needed by citizens to make informed decisions and the best ways to overcome the challenges of the 21st century.
READ MORE: Citizens’ Assembly to lay out vision of Scotland’s future
Critics have said the Assembly was set up as a way to garner support for Scottish independence, something the government denies.
Wimpress said she hoped that the report would be prepared in May, following the final meeting of the Assembly in April.
Asked what she hoped would be the legacy of the process, Wimpress said: "I think the major takeaway will be that this Citizens' Assembly has illustrated a route map to doing politics differently.
"It's the step change to the very binary approach that we've seen in the last decade and shows that, when you open up deliberative discussions, people can make very difficult decision together.
"Not everybody will like the outcome of those decisions, but they'll see that it's a fair process in getting there.
"It's about what kind of country do we want to see in the future? How are we going to get there? And how can we get there together? While also understanding that we're not all coming at it from the same angle."
Wimpress admitted she was surprised by the level of commitment shown to the Assembly after she expected some people to not engage at the weekend-long events.
She said: "I thought maybe people would come along and get involved, but they've really stepped up to the plate.
"Citizens from across Scotland who are here taking part can see how important it is to have a range of voices whenever you're making policy.
"That whole idea has caught their attention and made them more committed to the cause than less."
The Assembly initially employed a third party group to select 120 people for the project, in the belief that around 20 would fall away for various reasons.
However, only five people have backed out of the Assembly thus far.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel