The Supreme Court has rejected two unionist legal challenges to the lawfulness of the Northern Ireland Protocol. One of the two challenges, which were heard together last year, was brought by a group of senior unionist politicians led by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister and inclu
Appointments
See all articlesLord Beckett has been appointed as chair of the Judicial Institute. The Lord President, Lord Carloway made the appointment after Lord Armstrong intimated his intention to resign as chair.
Aberdein Considine has made a number of senior promotions across the firm. Five lawyers have been promoted to the position of senior solicitor, with a further three promotions to associate.
Solicitor advocate Robert Holland has joined Aberdein Considine as a partner and will be based in the firm's office in Edinburgh. He was previously a partner with Balfour and Manson LLP where he led the firm’s employment law team and brings over 20 years’ experience across a range of leg
Coulters has announced two new hires within its senior team. Jill Andrew joined the team as partner in August 2022, while Louisa Raistrick has taken on the role of head of estate agency.
Pamela Rodgers has been promoted to partner at PBW Law. Ms Rodgers joined the firm in 2017 and her work includes civil and criminal litigation. She holds a master’s degree in international human rights law and is currently undertaking the diploma in forensic medical science at the Academy of F
McDougall McQueen has announced the promotion of Noele Harraghy to partner level in the private client team. Ms Harraghy, a private client specialist who joined the firm in 2013, works closely with clients and their families to help them plan for the future.
Legal Aid
See all articlesProsecution barristers are to receive a 15 per cent pay rise after a deal was made with the Treasury. The director of public prosecutions announced that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had “secured additional funding” from ministers.
The Law Society of Scotland has described the Scottish government’s confirmation of an additional £11 million for legal aid as ‘a step in the right direction’ but called for urgent progress on a formal review mechanism to ensure the sector remains sustainable. Legal aid solic
Representative bodies for solicitors in Scotland have agreed to an £11 million package that increases fees for legal aid lawyers in Scotland and supports the country’s court recovery programme. The Scottish government offer, accepted by the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Solici
Lawyers in Aberdeen have brought an end to industrial action as a “demonstration of collective goodwill” and ahead of an increase to the legal aid budget, the Press and Journal reports.
Almost £3.4 billion will be invested across the justice system in 2023-24 to fund front-line services, provide continued support for victims and witnesses, and to tackle the causes of offending, the Scottish government has announced. The funding represents an increase of £165 million or
Universities
See all articlesProfessor Justin Borg-Barthet, convener of the University of Aberdeen’s Anti-SLAPP Research Hub, has provided expert evidence at the European Parliament. Last Thursday, Ramona Strugariu MEP convened the first “shadows” meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil L
Jen Ang will deliver this year's Law & The Common Good Lecture at Glasgow Caledonian University on 20 February. The lecture brings togethers students, academics, practitioners and others to think about how we can make a positive difference in our communities.
Brodies LLP in partnership with Edinburgh Law School presents: Effective Environmental Standards, Law and Governance, a talk with James Martin, chair of Environmental Standards Scotland. Mr Martin has had a wide-ranging career in the public and private sectors, serving as the Scottish Public Service
An Aberdeen Law School academic has started the year by delivering a series of presentations on the planet's most valuable resource to international audiences. Professor Zeray Yihdego, co-director of the Aberdeen Centre for Constitutional and Public International Law, was in India at the start of th
Students from the University of Aberdeen paid a trip to legal London recently to learn about life at the English bar.
And Finally
See all articlesIn a cautionary tale for public speakers everywhere, a law professor has apologised after a microphone caught him telling a student to "fuck off". Daniel Capra, an adjunct professor at the prestigious Columbia Law School in New York City, inadvertently muttered profanity directly into his microphone
Children as young as 12 will be allowed to wield ninja-style throwing stars under new legislation approved by a US state legislature. A bill approved by the Indiana Senate in a 48–1 vote would overturn the state's current outright ban on throwing stars, sometimes known as shurikens.
A police force which uses local mugshots in a parody version of US game show Wheel of Fortune is facing legal action from a disgruntled winner. In the weekly "Wheel of Fugitive" video posted on social media by the force in Florida's Brevard County, the local sheriff spins a wheel with photos of what
Non-psychoactive cannabis oil has been criminalised in Hong Kong as a "dangerous drug" on par with heroin. Though derived from cannabis, CBD products are legal in most of the world and have become a multi-billion dollar industry in recent years.
A woman allegedly used her position as a school official to steal more than $1.5 million worth of chicken wings. Over 11,000 cases of chicken wings were ordered using the school's funds between July 2020 and February 2022, according to prosecutors in the US city of Chicago.