News

A call for views on the future of the British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland has today been launched by Holyrood’s Justice Committee. The committee will be scrutinising the Scottish government’s proposals outlined in the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill. If passed, the bill would integrate t

EU law precludes national legislation that prescribes general and indiscriminate retention of data except in the fight against serious crime, the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled. In Case C-698/15, Mr Tom Watson, Mr Peter Brice and Mr Geoffrey Lewis brought actions challenging the UK

The parents of a baby boy who had his eyes removed after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer have had an action against their local health board dismissed after claiming they were “fobbed off” by a health visitor when they reported concerns about one of his eyes. A judge in the Court of S

A Commission decision to dismiss a request for review of a market authorisation decision on products containing genetically modified soybeans has been backed by the General Court because the parties making the request failed to refute the Commission’s findings that: 1) there are no significant dif

The UK government must clearly and urgently articulate how it will ensure the widespread enforceability of UK court judgments in EU member states after Brexit, a new report argues. The impact of Brexit on the UK-based legal services sector, published by TheCityUK, stresses the importance of the Engl

Lisa Gregory Digby Brown partner Lisa Gregory has been appointed president of the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen.

A gangmaster pair in Kent have agreed a settlement of more than £1 million in legal costs and compensation with migrants in a landmark modern-day slavery case.Darrell Houghton and his wife Jacqueline Judge must make the payouts to six Lithuanian chicken catchers trafficked to work on farms that pro

Efforts to protect migrant children who are separated from their parents but travelling with other adults are hampered by a lack of information and guidance, an EU report has found. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said in its latest report on migration-related fundamental rights in select

A man found guilty of assault and robbery who claimed that a sheriff’s warning to a witness about potential prevarication or perjury restricted his defence lawyer’s ability to cross-examine the witness has had an appeal against his conviction refused. The appellant argued that there had been a �

Forfar Sheriff Court (credit: Google Street View) A health board’s “total silence” over the death of a baby has prompted concern from a sheriff conducting a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the incident, The Courier reports.

Kevin Stewart A new law which requires local public services to involve communities in their work comes into force today.

Professor Gary Slapper The Times has published a full obituary for Professor Gary Slapper, who passed away on December 4 the age of 58 after suffering a ruptured aortic dissection.

Nicola Sturgeon A paper examining proposals to keep Scotland in the European Single Market has been published by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Douglas Reid

The Court of Appeal in Belfast is to rule on the whether or not it is defamatory to describe someone as a "Scrooge". The question is part of a current appeal by the Sunday World newspaper which is seeking to reverse a £50,000 libel award to a Co Down businessman it referred to as a “Scrooge”.