How did it ever come to this in Scotland, which many Scots regard as one of the most enlightened and progressive nations on the planet? How did the country which produced Robert Burns, David Hume, Elsie Inglis and Mary Somerville reach this point?

We now live in a country where a nurse with 30 years of unblemished service may lose her job because she refused to undress in front of a colleague 'assigned male' at birth. That Sandie Peggie was having her period at the time when her colleague attempted to share her changing room may seem hardly to matter in the grand drama that Ms Peggie’s employment tribunal against NHS Fife has become. In moments like this, though, a woman's private space becomes a sanctuary.

Her colleague, Dr Beth Upton is a doctor and so must know that they will never experience what Ms Peggie was experiencing at that time.

We know too that NHS Fife has spent more than £220,000 defending itself at the tribunal in a case brought by Ms Peggie. This will resume on Wednesday and is expected to last for another 11 days.

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After Ms Peggie formally complained about being forced to share her changing-room with Dr Upton she was suspended following an incident at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy where both medics worked. She claims that her treatment at the hands of her employer was unlawful under the Equality Act, citing sexual harassment, belief discrimination and victimisation.

There were many absurd moments during the first part of this........

© Herald Scotland