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The UK government has refused to hold an inquiry into British involvement in rendition and torture, while presenting updated Whitehall guidance – the so-called ‘torture policy’ – that fails to expressly prohibit ministers authorising action carrying a real risk of torture, hu

The Scottish Land Commission has launched a new survey seeking views of communities across Scotland about community engagement in decisions relating to land. The commission said it is supporting communities, landowners and land managers to work together to make better – and fairer – deci

BTO Solicitors LLP has announced the appointment of Will Cole as a partner in its commercial litigation team in Edinburgh. A highly regarded litigator, Mr Cole specialises in assisting individuals, companies and public and third sector organisations with sensitive, business-critical matters.

A Robert Gordon University law graduate who first joined Ledingham Chalmers as a legal secretary 27 years ago with the corporate team will walk through the firm’s doors next year as a trainee solicitor. Wendy Harris originally joined the full-service firm in 1992 and has been a paralegal with

Ben Wilson details Scotland's legislative efforts to tame its carbon emissions amid a growing sense of urgency over climate change. While good progress has been made on improving the Climate Change Bill, especially on the target to reach net-zero by 2045, more still needs to be done to fully enshrin

Plans to extend abortion access and same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland have been approved by the House of Lords, following revisions to the process and timetable. MPs voted last week to amend the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill to include provisions on abortion and marriage which will

An English lawyer is set to appear in a play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe next month.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. British funds ‘are used to enable China’s human rights abuses’ | News | The Times

This year the legal community has reflected on the entry of women into the profession and the struggle for equality that has ensued. The Law Society of Scotland recounts the names of the women pioneers who have succeeded in law.

A fight between two men over who had reserved a sunbed on a cruise ship is set to be resolved in court. Their wives are among witnesses who have been summoned to appear before the district court in the German town of Auerbach, Saxony next month.

A man who was jailed for four-and-a-half years for selling so-called “legal highs” has had his sentence reduced following an appeal. Liston Pacitti and his co-accused Paul Brocklehurst both pled guilty to “culpable and reckless conduct” by supplying quantities of new psy

An appeal by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions over a detail of a personal independence payment (PIP) claim has succeeded as justices in the Supreme Court overturned a judgment of the Inner House of the Court of Session. This appeal concerns the assessment of claimants for PIP, a non

The Queen should be kept out of the Brexit controversy with the establishment of an inner privy council to advise her on proroguing Parliament, Lord Sumption has said. Writing for The Times, the retired Supreme Court justice said that the legal challenge to stop Boris Johnson from suspending Parliam

MSPs on the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee have today said that current dog control legislation isn’t fit for purpose and called on the Scottish government to undertake a comprehensive review of all dog control laws immediately. The committee has just completed its review

According to figures released by Registry Trust, the number of decrees against Scottish businesses dropped by 28 per cent in the first six months of 2019 (compared to HY1 2018 figures) - totalling 1,140, the lowest of any first half-year on record. The total value of decrees against businesses in th