News

Women and children’s rights campaigners have expressed alarm after research by the group Surrogacy Concern found the majority of single men applying for parental orders in the courts in England and Wales for surrogate-born babies are doing so for children born abroad. Between 2019 and 2025 130

New research led by Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with Edinburgh University and other institutions pinpoints the growing threat posed by the influence AI companies have over the rule of law and people's lives. The international team behind the work, which comprised researchers based in Ire

Glasgow firm MacDonald Lynch is marking its fifth anniversary with the launch of a new Uddingston office. The practice has opened premises on Main Street, expanding into South Lanarkshire. MacDonald Lynch was established in 2021 when senior partner Elaine MacDonald took over the long-establishe

A spectacular blue-green diamond known as the "Ocean Dream" has shattered records at Christie's in Geneva, selling for 13.6 million Swiss francs (c. £13m; 14.9m) and setting a new world auction benchmark for diamonds of its colour. Weighing 5.5 carats and cut into a striking triangular shape,

Small businesses will "no longer be left chasing money they are already owed", as ministers today introduce landmark legislation to end the "scourge of late payments". The Small Business Protections Bill (formally known as the Commercial Payments Bill) delivers the toughest crackdown on late payment

Shared Parenting Scotland is teaming up with Both Parents Matter in England and Wales to take their message to the highest points of Scotland, England and Wales on 30 May. Supporters will march, climb and scramble to raise banners for shared parenting on Scafell Pike, Snowdon, and Ben Nevis, the hig

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Bank of England and HM Treasury have issued a joint warning that frontier AI models now pose a materially heightened cyber threat to regulated firms, and have set out expectations on how the sector should respond. The authorities said the cyber capabilities of

Four men have been imprisoned for their part in violent clashes between Old Firm fans ahead of the 2024 Scottish League Cup final. They have also received football banning orders extending to matches, commercial premises televising matches and journeys to and from grounds for a number of years.

Thorntons has appointed two new legal directors to its Inverness office. Gary Munro (commercial real estate) and Susan Bird (residential property), bring with them extensive experience across the Scottish legal market and deep knowledge of all aspects of the local property landscape.

A major new study aims to help African nations harness international law to navigate the increasingly complex threats to their cyber security. The project, “Advancing the Application of International Law in the Cyber Context in Africa”, is led by Dr Talita Dias from the University of Exe

The Law Society of Scotland has opened nominations for honorary membership to recognise Scottish solicitors who have made an outstanding contribution to the public good through their legal careers. The award has been conferred on 23 people in the Law Society’s history, with the most recent rec

Pope Leo XIV encountered trouble with his banking after the customer service line hung up on him. Two months into his papacy last year, Pope Leo XIV called his bank in Chicago to change his phone number and address, USA Today reports.

Addleshaw Goddard has completed its move to a statement office in the centre of Edinburgh. The firm has taken almost 30,000 sq ft in one of the best locations in the city at 24 St Andrew Square, following a complete refurbishment which has maintained the building’s classical façade whil

Lady Carmichael delivered the Aberdeen Law Project's annual lecture on 10 April. This year’s lecture focused on the role of law clinics in both advancing access to justice and legal education, alongside broader reflections on professionalism, the rule of law, and the responsibilities of future

Scottish private sector firms recorded a fresh decline in business activity at the start of the second quarter, the latest Royal Bank of Scotland Growth Tracker has revealed. The headline Royal Bank of Scotland Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-mo