Here are some of the key laws passed by Holyrood since the Scottish Parliament was created.

Mental Health (Public Safety and Appeals) (Scotland) Act 1999
Introduced in September 1999, this was the first legislation passed following the opening of the Parliament earlier that year. It had aimed to close a loophole in the law that had led to the release of convicted killer Noel Ruddle, who had shot dead his neighbour with an assault rifle. The bill added public safety to the grounds for not discharging certain patients detained under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984. However, it was repealed in October 2005.

Ethical Standards in Public Life, etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 
Section 28 was scrapped by MSPs from this broad legislation, which also set out a code of conduct for councillors. Section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986 (more commonly referred to as “Section 28”) had banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools, but removed as part of the legislation under 
part 6 of the act, which focused on children’s teaching and welfare.

Education (Graduate Endowment and Student Support) (Scotland) Act 2001 
Upfront tuition fees were abolished in Scotland after MSPs voted to replace them with an endowment fee. The legislation meant students would only pay a £2,289 graduate fee, with repayment starting when earnings hit £10,000. The endowment fee was removed by MSPs in February 2008.

Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 
In February 2002, MSPs voted unanimously in favour of plans to provide free personal care for the elderly. The legislation meant all personal care charges for people cared for in their own home were abolished, while everyone needing nursing care would receive it free of charge.

Homelessness, etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 
The legislation placed a duty on councils to provide temporary accommodation, advice and assistance to homeless people. The Government pledged that, by 2012, every homelessness application would be determined to be a priority need. In 2012, the legislation was changed, entitling anyone finding themselves homeless through no fault of their own to settled accommodation. 

The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 
A ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and all public places was approved by MSPs in June 2005, with the change coming into effect in March 2006. Employers could be fined if they failed to enforce the ban and smokers could also face a fine if they were found to be lighting up. The then Health Minister, Scottish Labour MSP Andy Kerr, described it as being the most important piece of public health legislation in a generation.

Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012 
Scotland became the first place in the UK to introduce minimum drink pricing after MSPs backed changes to pricing in 2012. The move meant alcohol would be priced at 50p per unit, in the hope of tackling historical alcohol abuse problems in the country. However, the act faced a long delay to being introduced after it became tied up in a legal challenge. It was eventually introduced in May 2018 after the UK Supreme Court ruled there was no breach of EU law.

Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013 
The legislation that paved the way for a referendum on independence was passed in November 2013 and set out a series of rules for the vote, such as the question and campaign spending limits. Separate legislation allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote had already been passed. The referendum was held in September 2014, with a turnout of almost 854.59 per cent – a record for any election held in the UK since the introduction of universal suffrage in 1918.

Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 
MSPs backed a bill that would allow same-sex marriages in Scotland in November 2013, which passed in February 2014. The Scottish Government said at the time the move was the right thing to do, despite Scotland’s two main churches opposing it. The law came into effect on December 16 that year, with some of the first marriages taking place on Hogmanay after the usual 15-day notice period for marriages.

Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 
The Scottish Parliament voted by 118 to one to bring changes to laws on domestic abuse in Scotland. Under the legislation, a specific offence of “abusive behaviour in relation to a partner or ex-partner” was created, widening the scope for prosecution, having previously primarily focused on domestic abuse of a physical nature. Scottish Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell, who had recorded the only vote against the legislation, later explained that she had pressed the wrong button during the vote and that she was, in fact, in favour of the changes.