Over two days, the High Court in London will consider a proposal that would allow Parliament to decide whether to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom next year.
Opening the hearing on Tuesday, Scotland's chief lawyer, Dorothy Payne, said the issue of Scottish independence was a "living and important issue in Scottish electoral politics".
She added that "the question is whether such a poll is within the competence of the Scottish Parliament, and this is a case that I invite this court to decide once and for all."
Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, has published what she called the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill.
She said she wanted to hold a legal referendum by referring it to the Supreme Court, in order to avoid being challenged, especially since she had not obtained a license from the British government.
The Scots chose to remain in the United Kingdom by 55 percent during the 2014 referendum.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss stressed - in a televised interview this October - that she believes that the last referendum in 2014 was a once-in-a-generation event.
"I am very clear that there should not be another referendum before this generation is over," she said.
"People in Scotland want their governments to work together on issues that affect them, rather than focus on organizing a new referendum," Scottish Secretary of State Alistair Jack told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
But the Scottish National Party ran for Parliament in 2021 on a promise to hold a legal referendum after the Covid-19 crisis subsided.
Opinion polls indicate a split in Scotland over voting intentions between supporters and opponents of independence from the United Kingdom.