Opinion

For a Scottish business deciding whether to bid for a contract, expand a facility or launch a product, access to people can be as decisive as access to finance. Can it recruit the specialist it needs, at a sustainable cost and in time to deliver? Can it persuade that person to stay? Those are the pr

When was the last time you walked down a street absolutely certain you weren’t being recorded? You might pass a house with a video doorbell, a car with a dashcam or someone wearing smart glasses. You could appear in the background of a stranger’s social media video without knowing it had

With employers under pressure to manage productivity, tackle absence and maintain performance standards, difficult conversations about employees falling short of expectations are an unavoidable part of running a business. However, there is a potential legal risk that can be easily overlooked when ad

Carole Ewart examines a Court of Session ruling upholding the Scottish Information Commissioner’s independent investigatory powers while returning disclosure decisions for reconsideration. She argues that rising appeals and additional responsibilities demand adequate resources to safeguard eff

Alison Tyler examines the sharp rise in attempts to bring judicial reviews without legal representation in Scotland, exploring AI’s apparent role in driving the trend and the implications for litigants, public bodies and access to justice. Judicial review is the process by which courts exercis

The chancellor promised a Budget of “breathing space now and fresh hope for the future”. For partners in Scotland’s law firms, that breathing space is on hold until the Scottish Budget on 3 December, writes Alex Docherty. Nothing in the Budget was aimed specifically at law firms. W

Scotland's civil courts need procedures that are not only legally sound but proportionate, accessible and effective in practice, writes Ahsan Mustafa. The Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC) occupies an important position in the administration of justice in Scotland. It was established on 28 May 2

Changes to corroboration and the use of evidence from absent witnesses have weakened protections against wrongful convictions in Scotland, writes Douglas McConnell. In more than 20 years as a criminal defence solicitor, I have watched Scotland’s criminal justice system evolve significantly. of

2025 was a difficult year for any solicitor with farming clients, if I may be bold enough to appoint myself temporary spokesperson for such a group, writes Catherine Bury. The surprise changes to inheritance tax reliefs applying to agricultural property were enough to provoke the conversations Micro

Scottish retailers must ensure their policies and procedures comply with new restrictions on the promotion and placement of less healthy food and drink products now in force, writes Zoe Betts. The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 came into force on 1 October. The regulation

As the nights draw in and the shops silt up with Hallowe’en plastic, spare a thought for the poltergeist. Invisible to the human eye, dismissed as a noisy nuisance if making its presence felt. Court reporters in Scotland can empathise, writes Rosalind McInnes, legal director at BBC Scotland. D

The handling of a solicitor complaint has raised questions about undisclosed evidence, investigator accountability and the independence of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission’s decision-making process, writes Mohammed Sabir. Complaints against solicitors are inevitable. The important ques

When the allied victors surveyed in the 1940s and 50s the rubble of a European continent – and world – ravaged by the breakdown of the rule of law they sought to draw up a charter of universal human rights and freedoms designed to guard against a slip back into the abyss. It might be sur

As the saying goes, the devil is in the detail. It is tempting to be cautiously optimistic, with the recent Scottish company insolvency figures released by the Insolvency Service showing a 23 per cent reduction in August 2026 compared to August 2025, writes Stuart Clubb. Following a period of elevat

Jonathan Barne KC of Axiom Advocates outlines the key points of the co-insurance defence and its potential consequences. Beware. It lurks. Ill-defined. Morphing. Misunderstood. But, potentially, very dangerous to the unwary. The co-insurance defence.