News

Andrew Mackenzie The International Bar Association (IBA) is developing guidance on legal aid systems for jurisdictions worldwide.

Claire Rowe The Edinburgh office of Shoosmiths is celebrating being hailed as a Legal Week 'Best Employer' for the 13th consecutive year.

Sir John Mitting Undercover police officers have infiltrated more than 1,000 political groups in England and Wales since 1968, the Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI) has found.

Environmental lawyers have criticised the UK government’s new plans on tackling air pollution as “underwhelming” and “a plan for more plans” after it decided not to implement clean air zones in the future. Environment Secretary Michael Gove published a report this week

A sheriff’s decision to sustain a plea in bar of trial based upon the “entrapment” by police of a teacher accused of seeking to engage in sexual activity with a child has been upheld after appeal judges refused an appeal by the Crown. The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary ruled that

An order requiring employment tribunal claimants to pay a fee in order to bring a claim has been declared unlawful under both domestic and EU law as it prevents access to justice, the Supreme Court has ruled. Parliament has conferred statutory rights on employees, including through legislation givin

A strategy for managing older prisoners in Scotland is "urgently required" according to a new report, which found that prisons are failing inmates with deteriorating health and mobility problems. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, David Strang (pictured), today publishes his report of a the

The burden of proof establishing that a proposed marriage is one of convenience falls on the Secretary of State, justices in the Supreme Court have ruled. An EU citizen with a permanent right of residence in a host member state may have that right removed ‘in the case of abuse of rights or fraud,

Matthew Farrell Matthew Farrell summarises a case reaffirming that diminution in value is an available defence to a tenant to a terminal dilapidations claim.

Austin Lafferty Solicitors, which has offices in Hamilton, East Kilbride and Giffnock, is due to open another office in East Renfrewshire.

Deborah Miller Deborah Miller highlights some of the key points from the Taylor Review.

Lord Matthews At the High Court in Aberdeen today, Lord Matthews imposed an extended sentence of 15 years on William Burns after the accused was found guilty of assaulting journalist Russell Findlay to his severe injury and to the danger of his life. The custodial element will be ten years' imprison

The judge in the Charlie Gard case has confirmed the declarations he made in an earlier judgment, to the effect that it is in the terminally ill child’s “best interests” for his life support to be withdrawn. The decision follows further tests which revealed that the 11-month old was “beyond

Scott Blair In these financially challenging times the issue of how one funds nursing home care becomes ever more pressing for those in need of care as well as local authorities who have to consider whether a recipient of care has disposed of assets - often the residence of the recipient - in such a

Shoosmiths has advised Sancus (Gibraltar) Limited, part of the alternative financing group Sancus, on its £12 million funding package to Green Town (Heartlands) Ltd, part of the WElink Group for the Heartlands development. Situated in the central belt of Scotland along the M8 corridor, the Heartlan