Opinion

Neil Stevenson comments on an appeal to the Inner House in which judges clarified the meaning of 'complaint'. In its decision, the court has clarified that a 'complaint’ is the whole complaint made by the complainer, but also that for some sections of the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotla

“Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears”. Surely some mistake, I thought; shouldn’t it be the other way round? Swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning-hooks? It was during Evensong at the magnificent Liverpool Cathedral last month that this

Word reaches your scrivener that a well regarded seasoned journalist by the name of Claire Atkinson is engaged in writing an unauthorised biography of the old boss we both used to share, namely one Rupert Murdoch. But will she cover everything? Fans of the brilliant, yet chilling, HBO series Success

Rod Maclean takes a look at a high-profile family squabble. Media business magnate Rupert Murdoch’s family’s public drama regarding ownership is perhaps the biggest family business law story of a generation. Beneath the glitz lies a classic archetype of succession squabbles. Families &nd

Dr Andrew Forde responds to the furore over Ireland's intention to intervene in cases brought against Israel and Myanmar under the Genocide Convention. On 11 December, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin announced Ireland’s intention to intervene in the

Dean of Faculty Roddy Dunlop KC reminds us that there is a presumption of innocence – for now. The age of social media has brought many benefits. Members of the public are able to engage with a number of issues – from the banal to the fundamental – in a way that was not previously

David J Black tackles the issue of the day. One of the more annoying things about the British media in general, and the navel-gazing BBC in particular, is the irritating habit they all have of prioritising so-called news stories which are so trivial and ephemeral they barely deserve to make the insi

Irish lawyer Dr Barry Scannell examines a recent trademark case in which ChatGPT represented one of the parties. Good idea: Getting a well-trained lawyer to represent you in a trademark dispute. Bad idea: Having ChatGPT represent you in a trademark dispute.

A new “failure to prevent fraud” offence will impact organisations across the UK and internationally, requiring them to complete risk assessments and implement rigorous fraud prevention procedures and policies in place if they are to avail themselves of a statutory defence, writes Tom St

“This budget invests in public services, lifts children out of poverty, acts in the face of the climate emergency, and supports jobs and economic growth.” That’s according to the finance secretary, Shona Robison, in the Scottish government’s 2025/26 budget statement, wri

The Damages (Scotland) Bill, appended to the recently published Scottish Law Commission Report on Damages for Personal Injury, contains some important proposed reforms which are intended to modernise Scots law and resolve certain difficulties, writes Lady Paton. The report recommends the amendment o

The title of The Herald’s recent Beyond Breaking Point: Scotland’s Legal Aid Crisis series reflects the reality of legally-aided lawyering in Scotland, writes Dr Ben Christman. The concerns expressed in those articles over the bureaucracy of the legal aid system, the inadequate pay rates

Being a public figure is tough. In some ways, few public roles are harder than those of politicians and government officials. The constant judgement, insults and threats alone are enough to put almost anyone off public service, writes Benjamin Bestgen. There is no denying that being a politician or

David J Black traces the origins of a scandal in plain sight and calls for a judge-led inquiry in part three of his series on the continued plight of ME/CFS sufferers. See also parts one and two. It is doubtless commendable to provide an ill or disabled person with fulfilling work, though hopefully

The picture above will be a familiar sight to many of the amateur athletes among us. Runners at the start line, eager to race. Before that crucial first step, though, there is an exercise almost as important as the race itself: hitting "START" on your exercise watch of choice to record the effort.