News

Criminal defence lawyers in England and Wales have welcomed Lord Chancellor David Gauke's announcement of a one per cent increase in legal aid fees. The announcement followed the end of the UK government's consultation on its earlier proposal to increase spending on the revised Advocates Graduated F

The University of St Andrews has launched court action against a company which is selling its own version of the university's iconic red gown at a discount. The university sells gowns for £159 each, but an Australian company called Churchill Gowns is now offering red "St Andrews" gowns online

A new report exploring why there is a lack of strategic court action by NGOs in Scotland and suggesting recommendations to address this has been published. Overcoming Barriers to Public Interest Litigation in Scotland suggests key barriers are: poor access to information about court cases; limitatio

A man who claimed he did not pose a “serious risk of harm to the public” after being given an extended sentence for possessing and distributing indecent images of children has had an appeal against a sheriff’s decision to impose an extension period dismissed. John Doherty, whose ca

Community ownership should become a normal option for the acquisition of land and assets, according to a report from the Scottish Land Commission. The report, which follows a review of existing community right to buy mechanisms and community ownership in Scotland, makes a number of recommendations t

MacRoberts has secured a place on the UK government’s Crown Commercial Service (CCS) public sector full-service panel. The CCS opened the tender for its wider public sector legal services roster last year and announced a five-lot framework covering regional and full-service work in March, with

Jim Cormack QC explains why businesses should consider Scotland as a jurisdiction for resolving disputes. Amid all the coverage of the politics of Brexit, it’s understandable little is said about the importance of EU law as the source of the rules regarding which state's courts have jurisdicti

Ailie McGowan considers the significance of the Prescription (Scotland) Bill. Since the UK Supreme Court ruling in David T Morrison & Co Ltd v ICL Plastics Ltd [2014] UKSC 48 there have been a number of court decisions, which could be described as “hard cases”; where claima

The Supreme Court has granted permission to appeal in MacDonald and another (Respondents) v Carnbroe Estates Ltd (Appellant) (Scotland). The pursuers are the joint liquidators of a company (Grampian) which was in business as a provider of distribution services in Scotland and the wider UK. In 2

The Supreme Court is offering students the opportunity to have a live question and answer session with a justice from their own classroom. These sessions, which will run between the months of January-May 2019, offer students with a keen interest in law a unique chance to meet and speak with a justic

A "clearly drunken" barrister who subjected a pupil to "excessively physical and unwanted contact" and "uncomfortable, hostile and intimidating statements" at a social event has been fined £1,000.

Irish Legal News, our sister publication, has run the strange story of ‘Typhoid Mary’ as part of its Legal Heritage series. We thought it sufficiently interesting to republish here on Scottish Legal News.

Pagans who attempted to worship at Stonehenge have been found guilty of breaking rules restricting their access to the ancient site. Maryam Halcrow, 56, who says she is a witch, Lisa Mead, 52, who identifies as a druid and Angela Grace, 46, entered the circle without reasonable excuse.

An environmental campaigner who was seeking to challenge decisions of the UK and Scottish governments not to hold a public inquiry into undercover policing activities in Scotland following the so-called “spy-cops” scandal has had her application for judicial review dismissed. A judge in

A bill that aims to give local authorities and communities a stronger voice in the management of Scottish Crown Estate assets has been passed. Under reforms passed by the Parliament, the Scottish Crown Estate Bill establishes a framework intended to deliver wider benefits and new opportunities for l