News

A man has pleaded guilty to offences under the new Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act, the first conviction since the new law was introduced on 1 April 2019. William James Murdoch, 43, of Glasgow, made his guilty plea at Glasgow Sheriff Court. He was sentenced yesterday.

The number of commercial rent disputes reaching a third party in Scotland fell to its lowest level for more than five years, according to analysis from Knight Frank. Figures obtained by the independent commercial property consultancy from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) showed th

A coalition of more than 50 civil rights groups, security experts and tech companies including Apple, Google and Microsoft have signed an open letter calling on GCHQ to abandon proposals for eavesdropping on encrypted conversations. Under the so-called "ghost protocol", the providers of end-to-end e

Audrey Junner, a partner at Miller Samuel Hill Brown, has been accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in liquor licensing law. The specialist accreditation scheme recognises solicitors who have developed expert knowledge in their field through their experience with complex cases,

Pioneering female academics and Polish ‘soldier students’ are among those who feature in a new book celebrating the teaching of law in Dundee. Dundee Law 1865-1967: The Development of a Law School in a Time of Change, is published by the Abertay Historical Society and written b

As someone who has worked in an M&A specialist law firm, I have great respect for the important role these lawyers play in advising clients involved in a transaction. It is, however, surprising that tax considerations are often overlooked in the initial stages of the deal process only to have ta

The Scottish Law Agents Society (SLAS) has issued an invitation to all law firms, local faculties and societies to consider whether the Scottish government has indicated an intention to transfer the regulation of legal services from the judicial to the executive branch of state authority and, i

New rules and forms for taking the views of children in family and civil partnership actions were explored at a special seminar by the Advocates’ Family Law Association (AFLA). The rules come into effect on 24 June, and there will also be new associated forms in the Court of Session and the Sh

Numerous fraud convictions have been made unsafe following the collapse of a trial yesterday in which the prosecution's expert witness was found to have no academic qualifications. Andrew Ager was involved in 20 previous trials and up to 50 police investigations into allegations of fraudulent carbon

Judges in the Netherlands have banned the biker club Hells Angels and ordered that its chapters be closed as authorities crack down on motorcycle gangs. It is the first ban for the club, which operates 470 chapters in 56 countries, The Guardian reports.

Watermans Solicitors is throwing its weight behind a Scotland Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) initiative to help ensure the life-saving work of the vital service reaches an ever-increasing audience. The two-year speaker programme partnership will see the leading firm back the charity's growing nationwi

A convicted criminal made gaffe after gaffe after accidentally shooting himself in the testicles while smuggling drugs in his rectum, police say. Cameron Jeffrey Wilson, 27, is believed to have been carrying a pistol in his front jeans pocket when it accidentally discharged, sending a bullet through

A student who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following the Glasgow bin lorry crash has had a claim for damages refused. Danielle Weddle, who witnessed the immediate aftermath of the incident in which a bin lorry mounted the pavement and caused the deaths of six people in December

The Scottish government has today published legislation to "set the rules for any referendum within the competence of the Scottish Parliament". The Referendums (Scotland) Bill will provide a legal framework for the holding of referendums on any matters within Scotland’s control.

The Dean of the Faculty of Advocates has called for the 'not proven' verdict to be abolished and for Scotland's jury system to be reformed. Gordon Jackson QC told The Times that the single-vote majority of eight-to-seven could lead to miscarriages of justice.