The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 came into force on 6 April 2020. In relation to commercial leases, the act gives tenants under commercial leases in Scotland additional protection from irritancy (i.e. forfeiture or termination). This protection is similar (although not identical) to the protectio
Search: Scots syndicate 1901 bought land in Glasgow for £5000
The first virtual hearing in Scotland held as a result of the coronavirus emergency took place yesterday. The Inner House appeal, Stuart Campbell v Kezia Dugdale, was heard before the Lord President, Lord Carloway, sitting with Lord Menzies and Lord Brodie. The other participants were the clerk of c
With the Community Right to Buy for Sustainable Development having come into effect last weekend, land commissioner Megan MacInnes looks at what it means for communities and for land reform. Last weekend marked the launch of the latest in the Scottish government’s land reform toolkit – t
Karen Dance looks at certain law reforms in the context of the latest personal injury court statistics. From 27 April 2020, Scottish solicitors have been able to enter into agreements with their clients in all personal injury claims to take a percentage share of damages as a fee for success. The leg
The Housing and Property Chamber has extended its postponement of case management discussions (CMDs) and scheduled hearings until July 9 at the earliest. A date of May 28 was originally set back in March as part of the measures required to manage the COVID-19 outbreak.
A tenant of a local authority housing site in Motherwell has successfully sought a review of the decision not to allow her to amend her pleadings in an action for damages against her landlords. Caroline Cowan had a secure tenancy of a property in the Watling Street development in Motherwell, wh
James Haldane Tait died peacefully at home on 9th April, 2020, from causes unrelated to the coronavirus outbreak. Known to his friends as Haldane, he was a remarkable man who has left the world immensely enriched by his time upon it. He is remembered with love and affection by all of those whose liv
All too often our coverage of fatal accident inquiries in Scotland is centred upon their non-occurrence rather than the lessons to be learned from them. A freedom of information request made last year revealed that there were 127 outstanding FAIs at the time of the inquiry. There has yet to be one i
Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit Committee have launched a call for views on the operation of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016. The act requires a parliamentary committee to review the operation of the act from when the duty to register came into force, up to March 2020.
No measure will be implemented to address Scotland's backlog of criminal cases that would compromise fair trials, the Lord President has said. Lord Carloway said he will "not contemplate any measure to aid recovery which might compromise the basic principle of a fair trial" in dealing with the backl
Stuart Munro of Livingstone Brown Solicitors responds to SLN's editorial on fatal accident inquiries held remotely. The delays involved in fatal accident inquiries are, in many cases, disgraceful. Bereaved families can struggle to move on with their lives while the circumstances of their loved one&r
A draft law which would increase the penalties for dog-owners whose pets chase, attack or kill farmed animals is to be considered by a Holyrood committee. The Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has issued a call for views on the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, which
It is no surprise that one of the prime aims of China’s new national security law aimed at suppressing Hong Kong’s democracy movement published yesterday is the abolition of trial by jury. The elimination of the right to trial by one’s peers is always one of the first targets of au
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today marked half a decade since the tragic M9 crash in which John Yuill and Lamara Bell died, and criticised “glacial and agonising” delays which mean that a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) has still not taken place into the crash and the
Homebuyers will be able to take advantage of reduced rates of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) from this week, after Finance Secretary Kate Forbes responded to calls for a quick implementation of the change. The threshold at which LBTT begins to be paid will rise from £145,000 to &pou