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The International Bar Association (IBA) has condemned new sanctions against International Criminal Court judges by the US as an attack against the global rule of law and the independence of judges. IBA president Jaime Carey said: "Since its founding in 1947, the IBA has endeavoured to protect and ad

The new interim chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), Dame Vera Baird, has described the body as “incompetent". Dame Vera, a former solicitor general and victims’ commissioner, criticised the watchdog’s handling of the Andrew Malkinson case, where it failed to refer

One of the world’s foremost experts in forensic investigation will deliver a public lecture at the University of Dundee later this month exploring how science and technology are used in criminal investigations. Dr Sheila Willis, former director general of Forensic Science Ireland, will deliver

A man who coated pheasant carcasses in rat poison to bait and injure other legally protected wildlife has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work. Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar, carried out the crime as part of an ongoing feud with a local landowner over shooting rights. He hoped tha

A trainee lawyer who was mocked and beaten by police following an anti-globalisation protest in Italy in 2001 suffered a violation of his rights, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. Andrea Cioffi was removed by police from a hospital where he was being treated following violent clashes bet

Four men convicted of bribery and corrupt practices over the awarding of NHS contracts worth £6 million have been imprisoned for a total of 29 years. Alan Hush, 68, Adam Sharoudi, 41, Gavin Brown, 48, and Gavin Cox, 60, were convicted by a jury at the High Court in Glasgow following an investi

Harper Macleod has advised on the sale of The Golden Lion Hotel, one of Scotland’s oldest and most culturally significant hotels, located in the heart of Stirling.  The transaction was led by Paul Macdonald, a partner in Harper Macleod’s corporate team, who has extensive business su

A city's ban on yoga classes in public parks and beaches has been rubbished by a court. The US city of San Diego’s ban on yoga classes was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court, which found the activity protected by the First Amendment.

The Scotsman has published a full obituary of Lord Ross, who passed away on April 26 this year. "Donald Ross held a succession of the highest offices in the Scottish legal system of which he was a proud and doughty champion. He was the youngest of three children of John Ross, a solicitor in Dundee.

David Cameron, the former prime minister, has joined DLA Piper as a consultant.  He will provide guidance on the various locations in which the firm operates, including on the issue of geopolitical risk.

A new bill aimed at tackling problems with Scotland’s 20-year-old freedom of information (FOI) regime has been welcomed. The Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland (CFOIS) expressed its support for Katy Clark MSP’s Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill, which proposes th

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is to establish a commission to consider whether the UK should withdraw from various international treaties, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and amend domestic laws that some in the party believe are restricting government action. The commi

The trial of a Libyan man accused of constructing the bomb that brought down Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie has been postponed until spring 2026. Abu Agila Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, known as Masud, was due to go on trial in Washington last month, but proceedings were delayed due to his health and th

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. DRC: M23 rebels executed at least 21 civilians in Goma, Human Rights Watch says

The average selling price of property across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders during March-May 2025 was £283,335, 3.6 per cent higher than the same time last year. The most expensive region to buy a property was Edinburgh, with an average price of £301,077, while the most af