Reforming land rights and ownership will support Scotland's economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, the Scottish Land Commission has said. Setting out its three-year strategic plan, the public body said reform of land rights and ownership could encourage a more diverse and productive pattern
Search: Scots syndicate 1901 bought land in Glasgow for £5000
Nearly 1,700 crimes were reported under Scotland's new domestic abuse laws in their first year in force, according to new figures. Recorded crime figures for 2019/20 show that 1,681 crimes were recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, which was enacted on 1 April 2019.
The Scottish government has called on MSPs to reject legislative consent for the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill, which it says will erode the powers of the Scottish Parliament. A legislative consent memorandum (LCM) lodged with Holyrood by Constitutional Relations Secretary Michael Russell says
The Judicial Institute for Scotland has published a new resource to support judges conducting jury trials using remote centres. Restarting Solemn Trials, which may also be useful for practitioners, aims to support judges, including sheriffs, in conducting jury trials using:
The Scottish Land Commission is continuing its calendar of public meetings online, with the next focused on the Highlands. The commission is holding an informal public meeting online to give people from the Highlands the opportunity to find out more about how their community can benefit from land re
The Judicial Institute briefing paper on restarting solemn trials has been updated. In Chapter 1 under the heading “Procedures”:
The Justice Sub-Committee on Policing has issued a call for views on the report by Dame Elish Angiolini on police complaints handling.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has completed the transfer of ownership of the former Arbroath Sheriff Court building. The transfer to Arbroath Community Courthouse Trust (ACCT) was arranged under the Community Empowerment Act. This was made on the condition that the full refu
Seven members of staff at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court are self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19. The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) said it was working with NHS Test and Protect and that those required to isolate are doing so.
A Scot who practises law in the US has gone to court to overturn an order by Donald Trump intended to protect US military personnel from prosecution. Steven Watt, a senior attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) human rights programme, is part of a landmark legal action against
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has denied claims it gave false assurances that a sheriff court was safe to attend last December following a Covid-19 outbreak. Seven members of staff at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court self-isolated before Christmas after testing positive for
The third annual report of the Scottish tribunals has been published. The report covers the period from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. It details the work undertaken within the new Scottish tribunals structure.
Aberdein Considine has boosted staff numbers in Newcastle in the last six months as part of a major recruitment push following a period of significant growth. The law firm is based in Newcastle city centre and launched in England in 2016 to focus on providing specialist legal services to the financi
A consultation on new legislation on the sale and use of fireworks and tackling the misuse of pyrotechnics has been published. The proposed Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Bill follows the report of an independent Fireworks Review Group which recommended tightening legislation to reduce the harm firework