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Scotland has far fewer judges relative to the population compared to other Council of Europe (CoE) countries, according to a new report. The Council of Europe's European judicial systems CEPEJ Evaluation Report looks at key metrics from 2022 covering all 48 member states' legal systems.
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Pinsent Masons has appointed Edinburgh-based partner Walter Clark to join its UK financial services corporate team. Mr Clark is an M&A lawyer with a primary focus on deals in the financial services sector across the UK, particularly for clients with a strong presence in Scotland.
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Mackinnons Solicitors LLP has announced two new appointments to the firm. In August, Mackinnons welcomed Grant Mills into its residential property department as an associate. With substantial experience working in the north-east in conveyancing and other property related business, he is a valuable a
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Three first year trainee solicitors have joined Dallas McMillan in Glasgow. They are Hannah Howden (employment law), Cath Healy (private client) and Emily Sillars (litigation).
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Hamiltons Law Accountants has promoted Jade Blair to head of law accountancy. Ms Blair has been with Hamilton Law Accountants since it opened in October 2023, and initially started as a trainee law accountant at its predecessor firm Hamilton Mullan Law Accountants.
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Holmes Mackillop has promoted Glasgow-based senior solicitor Kathleen Macleod to associate. In her new role she will assist property team directors Kevin Thompson and Amir Ismail to supervise the paralegals who comprise the firm’s residential conveyancing team.
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Burness Paull has extended its immigration offering with the appointment of Olivia McLaren, a US immigration attorney based in Scotland, as head of US immigration. Ms McLaren joins Burness Paull alongside her colleague Corinna Boland (paralegal) from Olivia McLaren, Ltd., a boutique US immigration l
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Criminal lawyers south of the border are to withdraw from legal aid work over a pay dispute with ministers. The Law Society is to advise its members to consider withdrawing from legal aid work or scaling it back until the UK government provides a "meaningful response" to lawyers' demands.
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Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk is being taken to the High Court by lawyers who say legal aid fees are so low they cannot provide representation to thousands of people. The case revolves around access to legal aid for immigration and asylum lawyers and is being brought by Duncan Lewis solicitors.
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The Law Society of Scotland is to withdraw from discussions on the creation of a review mechanism for legal aid fees, stating it had "lost confidence" in the Scottish government project following a lack of progress in two years. The Legal Aid Remuneration Project and Research Analysis Group were set
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The number of criminal legal aid solicitors dropped from 1,459 in 2007 to 966, the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association (SSBA) has said as it warned the system was heading for collapse. The Scottish government's public spend on legal aid has declined by 45 per cent, allowing for inflation, over the p
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The Scottish government’s 2024-25 budget continues its distorted and shortsighted approach to criminal justice, according to the Law Society of Scotland. The budget papers reveal an extra £22 million has been provided to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), while the f
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The Aberdeen Legal Walk, organised by the Grampian Community Law Centre, invited members of the legal profession to join forces on Wednesday 9 October to raise money for The Access to Justice Foundation.
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Did you graduate from Edinburgh Law School in 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004, 2014 or 2024 with an LLB, LLM, MSc, PhD or Diploma? Join the law school for its Alumni Reunion 2024 on Saturday, 30 November 2024 for an exciting opportunity to meet, reconnect and network with your fellow Edinburgh La
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Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws KC is to deliver the Ruth Adler Human Rights Lecture 2024 at Edinburgh Law School next month. Born and brought up in Glasgow, she is a bencher of Gray’s Inn, an honorary writer to the Signet and the recipient of 42 honorary degrees and fellowships from many univer
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For the very first time in the UK, a dedicated undergraduate course in Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights is being offered at Edinburgh Law School. Economic, social, and cultural (ESC) rights are fundamental human rights that are necessary to live a dignified life that is free from fear and want.
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Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC will deliver this year's James Wood lecture on the topic of the prosecution of sexual offences. The James Wood Lecture is the principal public lecture hosted annually by the University of Glasgow School of Law, having first been delivered by Lord Fraser of Tullybelton i
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A western company suffered a major data breach after inadvertently hiring a North Korean cyber criminal as a fully-remote worker. A cyber security firm said it assisted the company, which has not been named, after the former contractor downloaded company data and sent a ransom demand.
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Footage of a police officer being swallowed up by a giant inflatable pumpkin has gone viral on social media. The police force in Bay Village, Ohio released the dashcam footage showing one of its officers losing in hand-to-hand combat against the Halloween decoration.
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The World Conker Championships is investigating an allegation of cheating after a contestant was found to have a steel chestnut. The men's winner at the annual competition in Northamptonshire was searched by organisers after his rival cried foul play, The Telegraph reports.
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An American police official has been criticised after summoning officers because Burger King bungled his order. Sheriff Craig Owens Sr, who heads the force in Cobb County, Georgia, has been accused of an "abuse of power" after officers raced to his aid at the fast food restaurant.
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Police say they seized a bag labelled "definitely not a bag full of drugs" – which turned out to be full of drugs.
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