News

Pop star Taylor Swift has appealed against a judge's ruling permitting a trial over claims she plagiarised lyrics for her hit song Shake It Off. Swift's lawyers argued the judgment was “unprecedented” and said that the case was based on phrases that are commonly used.

Former US president Donald Trump will today be questioned under oath as part of a long-running investigation into his business practices. Letitia James, the New York attorney general, has since 2019 been investigating whether Mr Trump and his Trump Organization misled lenders, insurers and tax autho

Criminal barristers in England and Wales are being balloted on whether their industrial action over the low rates of legal aid should be escalated into an "uninterrupted strike". In a letter to members, the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) said all of those on strike "made the decision to withdraw the

The Lawscot Foundation’s programme to assist aspiring solicitors from disadvantaged backgrounds will be further expanded, thanks to a new sponsorship agreement with the Clark Foundation. The Clark Foundation for Legal Education – which was established in 1991 by former Law Society of Sco

Linklaters has posted a 6.5 per cent increase in revenue to £1.78 billion and a 6.9 per cent uptick in pre-tax profits to £871.7 million. The magic circle firm reported profit per equity partner of £1.869 million, up by 5.4 per cent, while profit per all partners was £1.

The paedophile John Watt QC, 72, who was jailed for 10 years on Monday should be stripped of his rank as Queen's Counsel, lawyers have demanded. The former prosecutor and defence lawyer was found guilty last month of sexually abusing children on various occasions between 1973 and 1987. 

The first substantial overview of neurotechnology and its implications for the law and the legal profession has been published by a Scots-qualified criminal law scholar at the University of Sydney Law School. The report, a world-first, was commissioned by the Law Society of England and Wales an

Lindsays has welcomed Jordan Hay as senior solicitor in the firm's private client team in Edinburgh as well as solicitors Gemma-Grace Johnstone and Maddie Miller, who have joined the commercial property teams in Dundee and Edinburgh respectively. Mr Hay has experience in providing advice to individu

An English intellectual property judge has rejected a contention that the manufacturers of a wooden rowing machine had no chance of arguing it to be a “work of artistic craftsmanship” within the meaning of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. WaterRower UK Ltd had originally rais

The test used by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to decide what cases should be referred back to the courts as possible miscarriages of justice is set to be reviewed. The CCRC is an independent body responsible for investigating alleged miscarriages of justice in England and Wales and No

A dummy of Frankenstein's monster held at the V&A in London has led to a trans-Atlantic ownership row after a museum in the US called for it to be repatriated. The seven foot wooden mannequin is based on the actor Boris Karloff, who played the monster in his films in the 1930s and 40s.

Peter Smith has joined Shepherd and Wedderburn as a commercial property partner, heading the firm’s real estate team in the Aberdeen office and bringing 19 years’ expertise advising clients in the real estate sector. Mr Smith, who will lead the development of the firm’s real estate

The next edition of CLT Scotland’s popular Scots Law Series will be taking place live online during October with delegates able to choose from 10 individual conferences. Roy Spiers, CLT Scotland’s Director of Programmes, said: “Practical, statutory and caselaw developments have con

A show exploring the birth of modern human rights through the eyes of David Maxwell Fyfe, the Scot who was instrumental in the creation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), has come to the Fringe. Sir David, a barrister, served as the UK's deputy chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trial

The Scottish government has been pressed over its handling of mental health services after the Scottish Police Authority warned that the provision of dedicated mental health professionals within police custody settings across Scotland was “inconsistent”.  Under Action 15 of the Ment