Two hundred staff have been recruited by the Home Office to clear a backlog of 23,300 modern slavery cases. UK safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, said that the department intended to end uncertainty for victims by completing cases within two years.
Appointments
See all articlesPinsent 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.
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
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).
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.
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.
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
Legal Aid
See all articlesCriminal 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.
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.
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
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
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
Universities
See all articlesA new film about the exploitation of garment workers in the UK fashion industry has been released to mark Anti-Slavery Day 2024. The animation, based on research conducted by Glasgow Caledonian University London lecturer Erica Charles, tells of the human cost behind the production of clothing for fa
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.
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
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
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.
And Finally
See all articlesAn airport has capped goodbye hugs at a maximum of three minutes long. New signage at the drop-off section outside Dunedin Airport in New Zealand coldly states: "Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells please use the car park."
The Taliban has banned media outlets across large swathes of Afghanistan from broadcasting images of living beings. State media in the provinces of Takhar, Maidan Wardak and Kandahar have been told they can no longer air or publish images of people or animals, Newsweek reports.
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.
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.
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.