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Legislators have been left red-faced after approving a law which included references to fake minerals named after lawyers. North Dakota's new law on mining critical minerals mentions "friezium" and "stralium", apparently references to Christopher Friez and David Straley, lawyers for North American C

The Trump administration has announced the withdrawal of the US from dozens of international organisations, conventions and treaties "as soon as possible". A presidential memorandum yesterday named 31 UN organisations and 35 non-UN organisations which the US government now considers it is "contrary

Lindsays has started the New Year by recruiting two new partners. Commercial property lawyer Stephanie Nichol and private client lawyer Rob McNab both began work this week - taking the number of partners in the firm to 56.

The Law Society of Scotland said it is encouraged by the strong multi-party support for legal aid voiced by MSPs during a debate in Holyrood. The need for urgent action was repeatedly stressed on Tuesday as MSPs debated a recent report on civil legal aid by the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Jus

There were 11 baronies registered last year, according to figures from the annual report of the Scottish Barony Register (SBR). The SBR is based in Haddington and is run by retired solicitor Alastair K Shepherd. 

The Crown Office has lodged a first notice to begin the court process for a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death of James Steel. Mr Steel, 65, farmer and owner of Ballochmartin Farm, Isle of Cumbrae, died on 25 September 2024, after an accident involving a tractor.

New legislation has been published that aims to give councils more choice in how they design and apply a visitor levy to raise funds for local tourist services.  While local authorities currently have the power to apply a charge on overnight stays based on a percentage of accommodation costs, t

A former social care officer who groomed, assaulted and raped vulnerable girls has been jailed. Alexander Boyd, also known as Sandy, was found guilty of four charges on 3 November 2025 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. 

Blackadders LLP has reported a period of strong financial performance, with combined turnover of the law firm and Blackadders Wealth Management LLP hitting a milestone £20.2 million, a 19 per cent increase from the previous year. This growth was accompanied by a 46 per cent surge in group prof

A homeowner is at his wits’ end after spending months trying to get a 550-pound bear removed from beneath his house. Kenneth Johnson, who lives in Altadena, California, claims the animal has been living in his crawlspace since November and that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (C

A woman has been awarded £1,000 in compensation after her mother’s ashes were mistakenly sent through an EU country, opened by border officials and returned with some of the contents spilled. The daughter, referred to as Mrs R in proceedings, had paid £1,440 to direct cremation fir

DWF has appointed Gary Georgeson as a director in its real estate team in Edinburgh, marking another step in its continued investment and growth across Scotland. Mr Georgeson brings 20 years' experience in the commercial property sector, advising on all aspects of real estate matters with a particul

Sharon Clelland has been appointed as a traffic commissioner for Great Britain. Ms Clelland, who starts the role on 6 April 2026, joins from her role as head of legal services for the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, the independent body providing regulatory oversight of policing in Sc

The Ministry of Justice has been taken to task over ignoring the decline of legal aid provision and for wasting money In a new report, Westminster's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has scrutinised the landscape for legal aid and HM Prison and Probation Service’s (HMPPS) decision to spend &poun

Simpson & Marwick has announced a series of appointments designed to support the firm’s next phase of growth. Ricky Nicol will move into the role of non-executive chairman, bringing experience in leadership and technology. Meanwhile, Scott Fraser has been appointed as board adviser.