Search:

Ronnie Clancy KC writes about a sensational murder trial stemming from a toxic political rivalry and scurrilous journalism that took place in the High Court in Edinburgh 200 years ago, the full version of which appears on his blog Read me my Rights. The accused was the survivor of a duel betwee

Professor Peter Watson has been appointed as president of the British Academy of Forensic Sciences (BAFS). Professor Watson takes on the role from Tracy Alexander FKC, director of forensic services for the City of London Police.

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.

Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM) will explore Scotland’s path to achieving its renewables targets at its annual conference this week. WJM’s seminar will this year focus on the theme ‘Reaching the targets – 2030’.

Four men have been charged in connection with the theft of a solid gold toilet worth £5 million more than four years ago. The fully-functioning 18-carat toilet, named America, was stolen from Blenheim Palace in England days after it was installed as an art piece.

Arbroath FC Community Trust has launched its annual winter clothing collection campaign with the aim of helping even more people across the region. The Cosy Coats initiative sees Arbroath Football Club Community Trust, supported by Thorntons, collect donations of unwanted and unused coats, jackets,

Prison governors have written to MSPs over "significant concerns" about the rising number of inmates in Scotland. Natalie Beal, chair of the Prison Governors’ Association Scotland (PGAS), said staff were under "significant strain" and called for "urgent mitigation".

UNESCO has unveiled an action plan amid a warning that the intensification of disinformation and hate speech online constitutes "a major threat to stability and social cohesion". Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO, said: “Digital technology has enabled immense progress on freedom of sp

UK animal law charity The Animal Law Foundation has sent a legal letter demanding that the Scottish government implement official guidance to protect farmed fish. The initiative aims to address a gap in current protections for farmed fish, including salmon, which are not adequately protected within

At the High Court in Glasgow yesterday, Judge Young imposed a £400 fine on Ian Higgins. Mr Higgins had pled guilty to a contempt of court by refusing to perform the duties required of a juror. The sentencing statement is reproduced below. Contempt of court includes conduct that denotes wilful

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

Callum Sinclair, Ishbel MacPherson and Michael Horowitz discuss the latest in AI regulation following a major summit. A UK diplomatic success was announced on 1 November 2023 at Bletchley Park, the birthplace of modern computation, with the signing of the Bletchley Declaration, and the first interna

Karen Cornwell analyses a case revolving around the scope of advice solicitors give to their clients. In the recent case of Ronnie O’Neill Freight Solutions v Macroberts LLP, the burning query for the court was to what extent must a solicitor, when advising a client involved in a contentious s

Gillian Donald has been appointed as a partner at Blackadders in Aberdeen. Ms Donald joins from Brodies LLP and has extensive experience working with clients in the north-east of Scotland.

A freight company that sought over £230,000 from a firm of solicitors on the basis that it provided negligent advice during a contentious settlement discussion with a former contractor has been unsuccessful in an action before the Outer House of the Court of Session. Ronnie O’Neill Freig