Paul Motion considers whether motions for dawn raid orders should always be video recorded. Of all orders the Scottish civil courts are empowered to make, arguably the most intrusive, invasive and distressing are orders under Section 1 of the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1972. These orde
Appointments
See all articlesGibson Kerr has welcomed Phil Bonnar as a senior associate in the family law team, Emma Kennie as a purchase & sale negotiator and appraiser in the property team, and Faye Lipton as a senior solicitor in the family law team. Briege Valentine has also been promoted to senior solicitor in the firm
Harper Macleod has welcomed 23 new trainee solicitors, a record intake for the firm, making it one of the largest employers of legal graduates in Scotland.
Balfour and Manson has strengthened its family law and personal injury teams with the promotions of Katie Albiston, Iona Campbell, Emily Deans and Alannah Jones to associate. In Aberdeen, Ms Albiston has become an associate in the family law team while Ms Campbell has been promoted to associate in p
Roisin Higgins KC has been appointed to the Scottish Law Commission for a five-year term. Ms Higgins was called to the Scottish bar in 2000 and took silk in 2015. Her practice has focused on commercial, property, intellectual property and construction law disputes, with many years' experience leadin
TLT has welcomed licensing lawyer Chloe Crawford as an associate solicitor in Glasgow. Ms Crawford joins TLT from Miller Samuel Hill Brown where she was a senior solicitor.
Lord Sales has been appointed as the next deputy president of the Supreme Court. He will succeed Lord Hodge, who is retiring at the end of December, and will take the post up in January 2026.
Universities
See all articlesThe University of Aberdeen has honoured one of Scotland's last surviving D-Day veterans with an honorary degree. Jim Glennie, who turned 100 this year, was presented with a Master of the University (MUniv) at a special ceremony at King’s College Chapel.
The University of Glasgow’s Annual James Wood Lecture will take place on Thursday 30 October. Supreme Court justice Lady Rose will speak on the topic of 'Constitutional Rights with a Privy Council Twist'.
Glasgow Caledonian University has introduced The Sir Geoff Palmer Memorial Prize, honouring the life and legacy of the tireless anti-racism campaigner, advocate and educator. Awarded annually, the prize recognises the best socio-legal essay by a final-year student in the Social Justice, Equality, Di
Legal academics from University of Aberdeen have published a briefing exploring the challenges and opportunities presented by digital assets within Scots law. In recent decades, digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-based assets, have become increasingly prevalent and compl
The post-Brexit Conservative government rolled back the frontiers of liberal democracy, research led by the University of Stirling has argued. The research paper, Democratic backsliding and public administration: the experience of the UK, was published in the journal Policy Studies.
Legal Aid
See all articlesMSPs on Holyrood’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee have voiced their alarm at the extent of “legal aid deserts” in Scotland. The committee has been exploring civil legal assistance, commonly known as legal aid, in response to concerns raised about access to jus
Defence solicitors in Dundee are stepping up industrial action after what they described as “fruitless” talks with the Scottish government over criminal legal aid funding. Members of the Dundee Bar Association (DBA) have voted to withdraw from a scheme operating at Dundee Sheriff Court t
The number of solicitors registered to provide legal aid in Scotland has fallen by more than 12 per cent in just three years, according to new figures. As of 26 May, there were 1,122 solicitors registered to provide criminal and children’s legal aid, while 450 firms were registered for civil l
A survey of Scottish legal aid solicitors has revealed further evidence of a deepening crisis in access to justice, with 41 per cent of respondents either planning to stop legal aid work within two years or unsure whether they will continue. The findings come from a Law Society of Scotland survey of
Scotland’s criminal defence solicitors are to withdraw from a new flagship summary justice scheme in protest at the Scottish government’s failure to increase legal aid rates. The Scottish Solicitors Bar Association (SSBA) has confirmed that its members will no longer participate in imple
And Finally
See all articlesA police officer admitted to joining a remote court hearing with no trousers on after being questioned by an incredulous judge. Video footage from a district court in the US state of Michigan shows the police officer joining the Zoom hearing in his uniform, sans trousers.
Pedestrians are to be fined for speeding if they walk or run faster than six kilometres per hour in Slovakia. The new speed limit was agreed in the Slovak parliament yesterday through an amendment to new road traffic legislation, according to Swiss website Bluewin.
The head of a committee dealing with delays in drunk driving prosecutions has been charged with drunk driving – and has seen her own case delayed. Linsey LaMontagne is director of the Clark County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) in southern Nevada, covering an area including Las V
Albania's AI minister is "pregnant" with 83 children, the Albanian prime minister has announced. Edi Rama appeared on stage with "Diella", the AI chatbot appointed as Albania's minister of state for artificial intelligence, at the Berlin Global Dialogue on Saturday.
A man detained after trailing US troops with a speaker playing Darth Vader's iconic theme tune has filed a lawsuit over his treatment. Washington DC man Sam O'Hara staged the creative process after President Trump controversially deployed the National Guard to the city.









