The first minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) has confirmed that agreement has been reached with the UK government on the terms of the transfer of powers to allow the Scottish parliament to give 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote in Scottish parliament elections. Once the order has been passed, t
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A group of students has been prepared for a national mooting competition, courtesy of some expert tuition from the Faculty of Advocates. The hopefuls intend entering the moot organised by the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association(UKELA) which asked the Faculty to provide some training in advo
Aberdein Considine has recognised 15 talented employees working from Peterhead to Manchester in the firm’s latest round of promotions. Promoted to partner are: conveyancing senior associates Samantha Gilbert (Westhill), Katie Hutchinson (Union Street), Stevie Kelman (Stonehaven / Banchory) and
Oz (London) No.33, February 1971. Cover image by Norman Lindsay. In part one of a retrospective on a notorious obscenity trial, sparked by a subversive depiction of Rupert Bear in the counter-cultural magazine Oz, Ronnie Clancy KC looks at how the case became a defining legal and cultural clash of t
Macdonald Henderson is the top legal adviser in Scotland, having advised on 29 deals last year, the latest Experian M&A report shows.
The oldest law firm in Ayrshire has begun celebrating its 150th anniversary. A series of special events during 2026 will mark a century-and-a-half of Lockharts Law, whose history can be traced to a humble room in Ayr’s Wellington Square when John Lockhart began representing the official b
Two widows who lost their husbands in the 1994 RAF Chinook disaster have spoken publicly for the first time to back a campaign for a judge-led public inquiry. A total of 29 service personnel died on 2 June 1994 when the helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre en route from Northern Ireland to Scot
Maureen Matheson may not pour a great pint, but the skills she learned while working behind the bar in Glasgow’s Bon Accord have stood her in good stead for her life as a lawyer. “You learn so much about customer service,” she says of the bar work she did to fund her way through he
A rapist who sexually abused three vulnerable women in the space of nine months has been jailed for a minimum of four years and six months before he will be eligible for parole. David Ekpe was found guilty of three charges on 19 November 2024 following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.&n
Magna Carta provides justification for restricting jury trials to only the most serious offences, a cabinet minister has claimed, prompting accusations that Labour is “selectively quoting” the charter to defend sweeping proposed reforms. Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime min
When Fiona Pask took on the head of Scotland role at Shakespeare Martineau earlier this year it looked like the firm was finally going to be able to pursue the kind of growth it had planned since launching in Edinburgh in 2020. The Scottish government’s long-awaited Regulation of Legal Service
A Highland physics teacher exploited a position of trust to engage in sexual activity with a female pupil. David Vincent’s criminal behaviour took place over the course of 18 months after meeting the child at the high school where he worked.
Thomas Ross KC examines the collapse of the Bayoh inquiry. The resignation of Lord Bracadale from his position as chair of the Sheku Bayoh inquiry after 122 days of evidence – followed by the mass resignation of all the counsel to the inquiry three days later – no doubt led the public to
Balfour and Manson has strengthened its family law and personal injury teams with the promotions of Katie Albiston, Iona Campbell, Emily Deans and Alannah Jones to associate. In Aberdeen, Ms Albiston has become an associate in the family law team while Ms Campbell has been promoted to associate in p
Jack Boyle takes a look at the thorny issue of Employment Tribunal fees. Employment Tribunals date back to 1964, when they were known as Industrial Tribunals. The system has always been one which is “free” to access, in the sense that (unlike other legal jurisdictions, such as courts) th
