News

Police Scotland has denied there is an “overtime ban” after a whistle-blower claimed he was instructed to abandon drug investigations in case he incurred extra hours. The officer chose to remain anonymous as he risks “career suicide” by highlighting his concerns.

Fergus Ewing A consultation on proposals to amend legislation so that specified forms of electrofishing would be permitted for catching razor clams has been launched.

Philip Gormley Famed crime writer Ian Rankin has revealed that the head of Police Scotland invited Scotland’s top crime writers to dinner in order to “reassure” them that changes to the force would not affect their novels.

A man found guilty of stalking who claimed that the sheriff “misdirected” the jury by failing to advise them of the need for his conduct to have caused “actual fear or alarm” has failed in an appeal against conviction, after the Criminal Appeal Court ruled that the misdirection was not a “

Following our report of a case in which a sheriff jailed a woman for 14 days because she refused to swear under oath that her husband had abused her, we have received a response from a solicitor in private practice who wishes to remain anonymous. The views expressed here are those of the solicitor a

Chris Keates A trio of teachers have launched a legal case to block their transfers to different schools, on the basis of their contracts' mobility clauses, in a case that could make it more difficult for councils to move underperforming teachers in the future, The Herald reports.

Aileen Campbell New statistics released today show that in 2015 there were more drug-related deaths recorded than ever before, at 93, 15 per cent higher than in 2014 and more than double the figure for 2005 (336).

Coral Riddell and Alistair Dean

George Frier Shepherd and Wedderburn acted in three recent acquisitions for Satellite Solutions Worldwide Group (SSW), an AIM listed Oxfordshire-based global communications company specialising in the provision of high-speed satellite and last-mile broadband solutions to remote locations.

Theresa May New UK government proposals could see professionals including lawyers, accountants and consultants who provide advice on tax avoidance facing substantial penalties if they are found to have acted illegally.

David Strang Fears over violence at Polmont Young Offenders Institution has limited social activities there according to a new report.

A study of Sir Walter Scott’s The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border has been written by Alistair Johnson of the Advocates’ Library and published on the website of the Faculty of Advocates. The work explains how the Minstrelsy, three volumes of collected folk ballads first published in 1802 and 1

A man who claimed he didn’t receive a big enough discount on his sentence after being jailed for admitting an assault to severe injury charge has had an appeal dismissed. The Criminal Appeal Court refused the appeal by Ernest Findlay, who was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment after being give

Philip Rodney

Michael Kelly Michael Kelly, a partner at MacRoberts LLP, is the subject of this week's SLN Spotlight.