News

The Scottish Law Agents Society (SLAS) is inviting lawyers to complete a survey on the perceived fairness, transparency, and suitability of the existing legal complaints system in Scotland. Recently, SLAS noted that members of the legal profession have raised concerns and expressed dissatisfaction r

A sheriff has made no recommendations following the death of a prisoner that was caused by substance abuse. Anthony McCarthy died on 28 September 2020 at HMP Kilmarnock.

This week's de recenti judgment marks a significant change to the longstanding rules around corroboration in criminal cases that will likely have far-reaching consequences, the Law Society of Scotland has said. A bench of nine judges made the ruling on 30 October 2024 on an appeal from Lord Advocate

Some of the former partners of Coulters who retired in April 2021 and June 2022 have belatedly celebrated their retirement at the Royal Scots Club. Alastair Shepherd, Ross Mackay and Louise Williams between them had worked for Coulters and its parent firm, Henderson & Jackson WS and HBJ Gateley

The Scottish government's proposed pilot of juryless trials has been abandoned following years of opposition from the legal profession. Justice Secretary Angela Constance told MSPs that, having listened to the cross-party Criminal Justice Committee and a wide range of other views, a plan to enable a

An amendment to the Housing (Scotland) Bill will set out how rent increases will be capped in areas where rent controls apply, subject to the approval of Holyrood. In response to stakeholder feedback, rent increases would be limited to the Consumer Price Index (a measure of inflation) plus one per c

The number of cases being considered by the Scottish government in relation to the Horizon scandal has been reduced to 97, Holyrood's Criminal Justice Committee has been told. Writing to the committee, Justice Secretary Angela Constance, said that 44 of the 141 cases were deemed as not within the re

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Iran executes German-Iranian dissident

The de recenti disclosure of an undistressed complainer to a third party that they have been the victim of a sexual offence is corroborative, a full bench of the Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary has ruled – though one judge gave a minority view warning against the effective removal

An English court has reserved judgment on how to handle dozens of divorces which were finalised in error. Final divorce orders were granted between April 2022 and April 2024 in 79 cases where online submissions were received a day earlier than allowed by law, the High Court in London heard yesterday

A rare copyright exemption has been granted by US authorities to allow McDonald's restaurants to repair their notoriously unreliable McFlurry machines. Franchise owners have complained that the machines have a "digital lock" preventing third-party repairs from being carried out.

BBM Solicitors has announced that Rona Plowman has been promoted to legal director with effect from 1 November. She joined BBM Solicitors as a summer student in 2013, before going on to gain a degree in law from Robert Gordon University. She returned to her hometown of Wick to complete her two year

Bartys, a branch of Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM), has pledged its support to seven charities by signing up to an annual will-writing campaign. In total, the firm has raised £64,287 for the charity campaign since it first took part and is aiming to make this its best year yet.

The Irish government has been threatened with legal action over its alleged military trade and co-operation with Israel. A legal opinion produced by human rights lawyer Darragh Mackin for campaign group Uplift argues that the government may be at risk of violating a number of domestic, EU and intern

Edinburgh Law School's Professor Stephen Neff is to deliver a lecture entitled The Art(s) of Moral Globalisation next month.  Professor Neff is a graduate of Harvard University (in sociology) and of the University of Virginia School of Law. His primary research interest is the history of public