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A senior police officer has credited the roll-out of body-worn video (BWV) cameras with a sharp fall in the number of officers being required to attend court, freeing them to spend more time on patrol. Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen told The Press and Journal that the introduction of BWV across t

Security staff at Aberdeen Sheriff Court confiscated more than 100 bladed items during 2025, along with an imitation firearm, according to new figures. Data provided by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) for the first 10 months of last year reveal that staff at Aberdeen Sheriff Court a

Ian Forrester KC, a member of Ampersand Advocates and a former Judge of the Court of the European Union, has been conferred the honour of Knight Bachelor in the 2026 New Year Honours list. Sir Ian is recognised for his lifetime contribution to international legal practice, writing and teaching in la

Tim Eicke KC has been appointed Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the King’s New Years Honours List 2026 in recognition of his services to the protection of human rights in Europe. The honour reflects his distinguished career and his excepti

Views are being sought on whether legislation should be introduced to raise the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership in Scotland from 16 to 18, as part of a consultation on wider proposed reforms to family law. While marriages involving 16- and 17-year-olds are rare, the consultation respon

The four bars have have expressed deep concern over UK government plans to restrict jury trials in England and Wales. Since the UK government announced its proposal to restrict the right to a jury trial in response to Sir Brian Leveson’s criminal courts review, the Bar of England and Wales has

The 'not proven' verdict has now been abolished in all new criminal trials. The jury majority required for a conviction has also now changed from a simple majority to at least two-thirds of the 15 jurors. In addition, measures to enable more detailed research into jury deliberations have also been c

A sheriff has granted decree of absolvitor in a dispute between two sisters over whether a letter dated seven years after their mother’s will had altered it to remove one of them from the will after ruling that the letter was not an informal codicil. Pursuer Lois Boyd and defender Lora Boyd we

Criminal barristers in Northern Ireland today begin a withdrawal of services from all legally-aided Crown Court cases in a major escalation of their campaign for legal aid fee increases. Members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) last month voted overwhelmingly in support of the action, the lates

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Ronnie Clancy KC takes a look at a legal case that was central to its outcome. For those of us old enough to remember the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh (born Nguyễn Sinh Cung) is a very familiar figure. He was the face of opposition to

The Outer House of the Court of Session has dismissed an action for payment by a firm of solicitors against a Dubai-based law firm which required to instruct a Scottish firm for a debt recovery action on behalf of a client based in Hong Kong after finding that the references in the contract to &ldqu

Over the course of 2025, Scottish Legal News published more than 240 articles in our popular And finally section – sharing offbeat and weird legal news stories from around the world. But what were the most popular? Read on to find our most-read And finallys of 2025.

A valedictory court gathered at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to mark the retirement of Sheriff Alistair Noble after 39-years.

The Scottish Conservatives have renewed their call for the Scottish government to make drink-spiking a specific offence, in the wake of “shocking” figures on conviction rates, even though it is already a crime. Responses to freedom of information requests reveal that there were four conv