Search: Peter Watson

Liberal Democrat Peer Sir Ming Campbell QC has suggested that the Crown Office should be headed by someone similar to the director of public prosecutions in England and Wales, following a survey by Scottish Legal News on the dual role of the Lord Advocate. Sir Ming told The Herald on Sunday that it

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's appointment of 16 new peers runs contrary to his predecessors' promises to limit numbers in the House of Lords, Conservative peer Lord Fowler has said. Membership in the house now stands at 830, a move that the Lord Speaker said runs "smack against" the recommendations

Boris Johnson's attempt to give ministers control over which courts are no longer bound by European Court precedent will damage the legal system, Lord Pannick QC has warned. The crossbench peer said he would try to undo the change proposed by clause 26 of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which comes b

Addleshaw Goddard has established a legal support hub in Edinburgh operated by five paralegals and a manager. Paralegals Kirsty Peters, Fraser Ramsay, Sarah Buzuk, Leo Kritikos and Megan Newrot have joined the firm's transaction services team (TST) and will be managed by West Middleto

Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC has resigned from the House of Lords ahead of a vote on whether he should be suspended for breaching the code of conduct. The 82-year-old peer and former barrister allegedly harassed women's rights campaigner Jasvinder Sanghera while they worked together on a parliamenta

The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) has launched a consultation inviting stakeholders to give their views on proposed changes to the Criminal Quality Assurance Scheme and peer review criteria. All criminal solicitors who have registered with SLAB to provide criminal legal assistance are subject to p

Advocate Niall McCluskey reflects on the life of his uncle, former judge and peer, Lord McCluskey, who passed away last week at the age of 88. When I was a child, my uncle John (Lord McCluskey) was a family legend. My father, Raymund, would recount how the family meals of his childhood were fre

Lord McConnell Labour peer and former First Minister Lord McConnell has suggested a judge should be appointed to rule over possible constitutional disputes between Holyrood and Westminster as part of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Lord McCluskey One of Scotland’s most respected legal figures, crossbench peer Lord McCluskey, is to retire from the House of Lords on grounds of poor health.

Professor Pieter Bekker The Scottish Arbitration Centre welcomed a group of visiting students from the University of Dundee’s centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy recently.

Police in Portland have busted a 25-year-old man who allegedly tried to sell stolen LEGO to undercover investigators. Pavel Illich Kuzik, whose alleged dabbling in the black market for plastic bricks has been under investigation since February, was arrested last week.

The High Court in London has ruled that Lord Lucan, a peer who disappeared 42 years ago, is presumed to be dead. A death certificate has been issued for the peer who vanished after his children's nanny, Sandra Rivett, was bludgeoned to death in London.

Theresa May The Home Secretary has suggested new powers for spies should be properly scrutinised by Parliament following calls from the Prime Minister and a Liberal Democrat peer to fast-track the legislation in the wake of the Paris attacks.

The Labour peer and former barrister Greville Janner QC, Lord Janner of Braunstone will not be charged for the second time in relation to charges of alleged historical child sex abuse owing to his poor health, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said. Abuse victims have said the establishment ha

From left: Brandon Malone, chairman of the Scottish Arbitration Centre; Professor Pieter Bekker of CMS Cameron McKenna and ICEA partner CEPMLP; Andrew Mackenzie, chief executive of the Scottish Arbitration Centre; and Philippa Charles, head of international arbitration at Stewarts Law.