Dear Editor, I have previously expressed concerns about removing the 'not proven' verdict from Scots law, however further research has shown that the third verdict is a manifestation of Scotland's unique, 'unpressured' jury system – unpressured in that it does not compel jurors to reach full c
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A man found guilty of raping a pregnant woman and a child during a campaign of abuse which began five decades ago has been jailed. Brian Thomson was convicted of three charges on 20 August 2025 following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. The Crown led evidence which showed Thomson,
The optics are never good where bearing a placard or the wearing a T-shirt leads to an arrest, especially where the miscreant is a retired vicar, an old lady or a blind man in a wheelchair protesting about a matter of public concern, such as the ethics of abortion or the killing of defenceless child
Official statistics from National Records of Scotland show the number of probable suicides in 2024 was 704 – a decrease of 11 per cent compared to 2023 and the lowest number since 2017 and that male suicide rates remain much higher than female rates. The figures also show:
Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal have filed a lawsuit in California against MiniMax, a $4 billion Chinese AI company, accusing it of “willful and brazen” copyright infringement. The studios allege MiniMax’s Hailuo AI service generates unauthorised images and videos o
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has ordered a new investigation into how MI5 gave false evidence to three courts regarding conversations with the BBC. Sir Keir Starmer’s instruction follows requests from the High Court and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), both of which rejected MI5&rsq
MSPs on Holyrood’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee have voiced their alarm at the extent of “legal aid deserts” in Scotland. The committee has been exploring civil legal assistance, commonly known as legal aid, in response to concerns raised about access to jus
Claims that the UK could leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) without breaching the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (GFA) are "not credible", a new report has concluded. A new report by Professor Colin Murray of Newcastle University and Professor Aoife O'Donoghue of Queen's University Bel
Two men have been imprisoned in Zambia for attempting to use witchcraft to kill the country's president. Leonard Phiri and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde have been sentenced to two years' imprisonment after being found guilty of offences under the Witchcraft Act, the BBC reports.
Hundreds of Scottish construction professionals will converge on Glasgow tomorrow to call for action to address the crisis facing the industry.
Sheriff Appeal Court refuses director’s application to act as lay representative in repayment action
The Sheriff Appeal Court has refused to allow the director of a liquidated company who was also the director of a creditor of that company to act as lay representative for the latter after finding that he was not a suitable person to act as the defender’s representative. Pursuer Colin Hastings
Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee has called for urgent clarification after it emerged Police Scotland withheld a damning report that warned of a “boys’ club” culture in the force. The Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Human Rights Independent Review Group (IRG) was set
Israel is responsible for genocide in Gaza, a UN commission of inquiry has concluded for the first time. In a 72-page report published today, the commission – chaired by Navi Pillay, a former UN high commissioner of human rights and former judge of the International Criminal Court – call
Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has handed down its first ever sentence, convicting seven former leaders of the FARC guerrilla movement of crimes against humanity and war crimes. The judgment is part of the country’s transitional justice process set up after the 2016 peac
