Features

In an era where consumer disputes are increasingly progressed and decided via electronic means by companies such as major online retailers, banks and travel agencies, those attending court for the first time in civil disputes can find the process daunting and time-consuming. The issues presented by

UK businesses can expect a crackdown on furlough fraud after HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) revealed that almost 14,000 whistleblowers had come forward with information about misuse of the scheme. In total, officials received 13,775 tip-offs from employees about fraud against the furlough scheme co

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) has successfully appealed a disciplinary decision of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal (MPT) concerning a doctor. This is the first reported Scottish case in which the PSA succeeded in persuading the Court of Session to grant suc

James Chalmers and Fiona Leverick respond to recent articles about jurors’ assessment of credibility in criminal trials. Our recent study of the way in which jurors assess credibility in criminal trials has been the subject of some attention in Scottish Legal News. In this study, we reported o

Increased interest in and enjoyment of the Scottish countryside by the public over the last few years has resulted in many not just taking to the hills, but enjoying land by the water too, and Scotland's rivers are renowned for the quality of fishing by those that enjoy the sport. You may have heard

Douglas J. Cusine comments on the "bizarre" suggestion of academics that juries should no longer be directed to take into account the body language of witnesses. My premise is that we should approach conclusions drawn from mock trials with caution, and governments, in particular, should be wary of c

Scottish Housing Associations can hardly have failed to notice the increasing level of debate within the sector in recent times around the themes of sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance matters). Participation of individual RSLs and their boards in the debate has, so far, bee

The introduction of group procedure (class actions) in Scotland in 2020 has given litigation-savvy claimants another choice of forum in which to raise a class action. Under the new procedure, groups of two or more people with the same, similar, or related claims, can unite to raise proceedings in a

The recent Scottish government consultation in respect of its new Land Reform Bill included proposals in relation to a new form of agricultural tenancy that would allow the tenant considerable freedom to use the land within the tenancy for environmental purposes including planting trees and carbon s

Ruth Crawford QC writes on the measures the Faculty of Advocates has taken to protect lawyers' wellbeing beyond the pandemic. The past few years have been characterised by constant, ongoing change for everyone due to the pandemic. Life at the Faculty of Advocates has been no exception. With the stri

Stacy Keen, senior associate at Pinsent Masons, urges businesses and lawyers to take caution over Russia sanctions targets following a money laundering red alert. A “red alert” issued by the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce (JMLIT) outlines the expectations of UK regulators

Calum MacLeod, partner at Harper Macleod LLP, looks at the future of land reform in Scotland. Earlier this month, supporters of the Langholm Initiative, the south of Scotland’s largest community buyout, welcomed the news it had completed another successful fundraising campaign.

Said to be a 'living instrument', the European Convention on Human Rights was conceived in the throes of reconciliatory passion in May 1948 at the Congress of Europe in The Hague. It was brought to term by more than a hundred parliamentarians from across the region, including the Edinburgh-born Cons

New legislation around short-term lets means big changes are on the way. This could spell bad news for anyone who rents out rooms or complete flats in tenemental properties in the capital to holidaymakers, tourists or workers for a short period of time. The new legislation introduces planning contro

In 2020, the Scottish Government ran a public consultation on the further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures (that pierce or penetrate the skin) and proposals to introduce a licensing scheme. On 7 July 2022, the responses to the consultation were published alongside the Scottish Governme