The Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill was introduced by the Scottish government this week and proposes to amend the law on crofting and merge the Scottish Land Court and Lands Tribunal for Scotland.

The Law Society of Scotland’s Rural Affairs Committee convener, Jamie Whittle, said: “With crofting forming such a key part of many rural communities in Scotland, it is essential that the law surrounding crofting is fit for purpose and reflects current needs. The Bill seeks to simplify and improve some important areas of crofting law including on the duties of crofters, the work of the Crofting Commission and the operation of common grazings.

“There is also a strong theme of promoting environmental uses of crofts which links up with recent changes in other legislation.

“In the course of our efforts to drive the modernisation of crofting law, the Law Society of Scotland has consulted extensively with interested parties, producing a raft of work stating the case for necessary changes. As such, we welcome this important bill and look forward to considering it in further detail and working with the Scottish government to help shape good law in support of crofting communities across Scotland.”