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Thousands of alleged criminal offences have not been acted on because police have been too late in handing their reports to prosecutors. Nearly 4,000 charges were reported to the Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service (COPFS) over the past six years that were outwith the six to 12-month statuto

The lord advocate has rebutted academics' claims of a “shameful lack of clarity” over the law on assisted suicide. Responding to a letter published in the Herald, Frank Mulholland QC (pictured) said those who help people to die would, as the law stands, be prosecuted under homicide laws.

Antisocial drunks could be handed “alcohol ASBOs” barring them from pubs and clubs under new alcohol legislation proposed at Holyrood. The largest members’ bill ever seen in the Scottish parliament provides for “drinking banning orders” (DBO) which would run for up to two years and which l

The Faculty of Advocates has backed calls for a specialist tribunal or court in Scotland which would provide an effective forum for deciding environmental cases. Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoES) is campaigning for change, and the Faculty said it supported a dedicated tribunal or court which coul

A family who fought with their neighbours for more than three decades over a high hedge have been defeated. Audrey Alexander's fight against her neighbour over the hedge started 23 years ago but the seeds were sown 35 years ago when her aunt, the former owner, planted a vegetable garden which died i

NHS advisers are calling for the legal drinking age to be increased from 18 to 21 in Scotland in an attempt to crack down on binge drinking and save money. The move would apply to clubs, pubs, supermarkets and off-licenses.

Pictured, from left: Colin Moffat, Kirsty O’Donnell, David Nellaney and Simon Hammond

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) has announced that Susan Kemp and Dr Alan Mitchell have been appointed members of the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Ms Kemp and Dr Mitchell will take up office as part-time members of the SHRC on 1 May 2015.

Scotland's most senior police officer has said he is unlikely to remain in his post when his contract ends next year. Sir Stephen House (pictured) was made chief constable of Police Scotland in 2013 when the single force was formed.

Guillaume Katumaini and Simon Boedermaker from the University of Aberdeen fought off fierce competition from rivals Holly Dyce and Liam Alexander ofRobert Gordon University at the Granite City Moot. The annual Granite City Moot has been sponsored by Brodies LLP for the past four years, and involves

An Edinburgh organisation is the first to benefit from additional funding to tackle all forms of violence against women and girls in Scotland, first minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed today. The Edinburgh Domestic Abuse Court Service (EDACS) will receive £147,000 additional funding over the next ye

The Scottish government’s bill to lower the voting age to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote in Scottish parliament and local elections is published today. The publication of the bill marks the beginning of the parliamentary consideration process.

The chairman of the police body representing rank-and-file officers has described the force’s statistics as “newspeak” and criticised the suggestion that a statutory code would be a panacea for the problems surrounding stop and search. Brian Docherty (pictured), from the Scottish Police Federa

Perthshire property bosses are welcoming the onset of Spring as they reveal statistics from the first quarter of the 2015.

A follow-up audit by the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) into the quality of complaint handling at the Scottish Police Authorityhas found that the commissioner’s recommendations have been implemented and procedures improved. One of the key areas of concern highlighted within