Gilson Gray and TCH Law were the first firms to use the new fully digital process for simple procedure cases yesterday morning. The full roll-out of the Civil Online service from yesterday allows parties to submit simple procedure cases, pay court fees, submit supporting documents and respond to any
Search: Scottish syndicate purchased land 1901 for £5000
All solicitors and advocates who provide people with advice and representation through the legal aid scheme in Scotland will receive a three per cent increase in fees from today. The increase was announced last November as part of the Scottish government’s wider response to Martyn Evans’
Four programmes aimed at helping people leaving prison reintegrate with their communities are set to receive £3.4 million from the Scottish government. The mentoring services provide specialist one-to-one support and guidance to prison leavers, offering help to overcome the challenges many fac
Scott Clair, solicitor at Balfour+Manson, explores how innovative processes can make dispute resolution quicker, easier and cheaper in the 21st century. ‘What is it going to cost? How long is it going to take?’ Almost every litigator will be familiar with hearing either or both questions
The Scottish government has announced the establishment of a new forum to consider whether the age of criminal responsibility should be raised to higher than 12. The Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, seeks to raise the age at which a child in Sco
Three victims of child abuse have secured a historic £1 million damages payout from the Church of Scotland after launching a civil case on the basis of vicarious liability. Kim Leslie, partner at Digby Brown, took proceedings against the church on behalf of three siblings who were abused at Lo
Looking at the mobile phone data of rape complainants is "common sense", essential for a fair trial and does not alter the existing statutory regime, lawyers have said. Jerry Hayes, a former Conservative MP and barrister, said the rules were clear and that “the police are not entitled to trawl
Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP has announced growth in Inverness with seven new recruits and an office expansion. Broadening the law firm’s service offering, the raft of new hires sees staff numbers hike from 18 to 25 while the premises have been extended to almost 3,000sqft.
Two solicitor advocates with Brodies have been appointed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), to its panel of counsel in Scotland. The EHRC in Scotland works to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect and promote human rights, build good relations between people and
One of Scotland’s leading legal experts on medical negligence has retired after more than 45 years. Fred Tyler, who spent his entire 45-year career with Balfour+Manson in Edinburgh, won a landmark ruling at the UK Supreme Court in 2015 for Nadine Montgomery.
Michael Sheridan reflects on the changes proposed by the Roberton Review and the urgent need for Scots lawyers to participate in the discussion on the future of legal regulation. This is a period of seismic change in the regulation of the legal profession. Whereas previously there was a long-standin
Hilary Peppiette writes about a legal organisation that supports the elderly and how practitioners in Scotland can get involved. Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) is a group of solicitors and paralegals who specialise in providing support and advice to older people and to people who may be vulnerable
The Roberton Review fails to appreciate the separation of powers, proposes a regime that will effectively cost the consumer more and is so lacking in credibility that it should "form no basis for any changes" to the regulation of legal services in Scotland, solicitors have said. The Scottish La
Legislation to ensure more child witnesses are able to pre-record evidence ahead of jury trials has been passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament. The Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Bill aims to minimise distress and improve the quality of evidence given as it will be recor
With less than two months to respond to Graham Simpson MSP’s Proposed New-Build Homes (Buyer Protection) (Scotland) Bill, Harry C. Smith shares his views. There have been a number of attempts down the years to resolve any perceived imbalance in power between the housebuilder and the home buyin