New legislation is needed to ensure Scotland's legal aid system remains modern, responsive and targeted, the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) has said as new figures show costs rose by 14 per cent to £135 million in 2022/23. The rise in expenditure, revealed in SLAB's latest annual report, was
Search: Scottish syndicate purchased land 1901 for £5000
Six locations across Scotland have been selected as Bairns' Hoose test sites. Supported by £6 million in Scottish government funding, multi-agency partnerships in Fife, North Strathclyde, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Tayside and the Outer Hebrides will set up pathfinders to provide coordinate
The Lawscot Foundation has celebrated its ongoing success in supporting aspiring Scottish solicitors from less-advantaged backgrounds with a fundraising event in central Edinburgh. Around 60 people – including mentors, donors and corporate sponsors – attended the reception held to thank
Hamish Lean provides an update on the rural property market. The Scottish Land Commission has recently published the Rural Land Market Insights Report 2023, which provides an in-depth analysis of the landowner and buyer motivations over the 2023 period whilst also giving insight into emerging rural
Improving the way the Scottish system of social security delivers for people in need of support is the aim of new bill. Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill would enhance the rights of Social Security Scotland clients by introducing a
New research suggests that nearly two out of three Scottish legal professionals have experienced mental health issues in the past five years, underlining the importance of the Law Society of Scotland’s sector-wide focus on wellbeing. More than 3,000 legal professionals – including solici
Woman and girls will be better protected and victims’ needs prioritised as part of reforms to improve justice services and create safer communities, the Scottish government has announced. The Vision for Justice Delivery Plan published today also includes actions to address "long-standing chall
The Scottish Legal Aid Board has confirmed that as at 1 June 2023 there were 975 lawyers on the Criminal Legal Aid Register, following a freedom of information request by the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association (SSBA). Of those 975, however, 238 received no payment for criminal legal aid in the year
The Inner House of the Court of Session has allowed a reclaiming motion challenging a lord ordinary’s finding that a long-running legal dispute between a Scottish company and its tea plantation workers in Kenya can be heard in Scotland, and sisted the case until the resolution of individual pr
The vast majority of court users are satisfied with their experience, according to a new survey. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service's (SCTS) Court User Satisfaction Survey measures customer satisfaction in the Supreme Courts, Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Courts and Scottish Land Court.
A Holyrood committee has launched a new call for views on legislation which would give Scottish ministers new powers to assess and remediate buildings in Scotland with unsafe cladding following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire. The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Commi
Draft regulations allowing local authorities to charge up to double the full rate of council tax on second homes have been laid before the Scottish Parliament. If approved, local authorities would be able to apply the council tax premium on homes that are not used as a main residence.
The Scottish Land Commission has introduced fresh guidelines that emphasise the importance of community-centred land use decisions. As demand for rural land in Scotland continues to rise, driven in part by the emerging potential of natural capital, this new guidance provides a set of fundamental pri
An appeal to the Court of Session against a decision that the tenant of a farm in Kelso did not breach his repairing obligations under his lease has been refused by the Inner House after finding that the Scottish Land Court had not erred in its construction of the contract. It was held by the Land C
The Scottish Liberal Democrats have written to Justice Secretary Angela Constance seeking an update on when jury trials will return to various rural and island courts, including Kirkwall Sheriff Court. It follows an order in July that prohibited new jury trials in island courts as a result of failur