News

An end to indefinite immigration detention in the UK could save around £30 million per year, according to a new report. Human rights group Liberty commissioned not-for-profit economic data specialists Cambridge Econometrics to examine the economic impact of scrapping indefinite immigration det

Judgment will be handed down next Wednesday by the Supreme Court in a case in which the appellant made a complaint to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) that GCHQ had been conducting unlawful computer network exploitation activity, or hacking. One issue of the complaint was whether, if and to t

Restricted public access to rape trials and the provision of publicly-funded legal advice to complainants are among the final recommendations of the judge-led review into serious sexual offence trials.

Legal authorities in Ghana have launched an investigation after more than 90 per cent of law students failed their recent bar exams. Students at Ghana School of Law, the only institution accredited to train lawyers in the African country, have previously raised concerns with the Parliament of Ghana

A woman pulled a foot-long alligator from her trousers after being pulled over by police for running through a stop sign. Dozens of small turtles were also recovered from the vehicle after the traffic stop in Charlotte County, Florida.

A man who was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to serious and violent assaults against his former partner has failed in an appeal to have his sentence reduced. The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary rejected the appellant’s claim that he ought to have been given

Scottish lawyer Fiona Nicolson is to become president of a global intellectual property organisation. Ms Nicolson, a partner with law firm Bristows LLP, a technology and life sciences firm based in London, takes over as president of Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), which

Michael Sheridan reflects on the changes proposed by the Roberton Review and the urgent need for Scots lawyers to participate in the discussion on the future of legal regulation. This is a period of seismic change in the regulation of the legal profession. Whereas previously there was a long-standin

An immigration solicitor has called on the Justice Secretary to review rules preventing Scottish residents from receiving Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) funding for Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) cases, The Herald reports. Challenges to Home Office immigration decisions in Scotland a

Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has announced a series of senior promotions including that of Philip Knight, who has been made a partner in its Edinburgh office. Mr Knight heads up the firm's litigation practice in Scotland and deals with a broad range of commercial, insolvency and real estate

Primary school-aged children will no longer be arrested and treated as offenders, following the passing of the Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill. The bill will make far-reaching changes to the way that the law treats children under 12 with Scotland leading by increasing the age of criminal respons

EU member states can not place their own conditions on the registration of lawyers from another member state and must apply the principle of proportionality to conditions on their ability to practise, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled. The court delivered its judgment yeste

Scotland’s national drink has secured enhanced legal protection in South Korea after the Scotch Whisky Association’s application to register “Scotch Whisky” as a certification trademark was successful. Amongst other things, Scotch Whisky must be aged in oak casks in Scotland

The Scottish Arbitration Centre has announced its new Ambassador scheme. The ambassadors consist of 28 Scottish practitioners working mainly in arbitration from around the world.