News

A man who was found guilty of attempting to smuggle drugs into a prison on the basis of DNA evidence which prosecutors claimed to show that the accused had licked the seal to an envelope containing the illegal substance has had his conviction quashed on appeal. Judges in the Criminal Appeal Court ru

A union has called plans for Police Scotland to take control of law and order on trains from British Transport Police(BTP) “ill-conceived and dangerous”. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said specialist skills developed over years would be lost in the transfer which was announced las

Drivers and passengers who abuse the blue badge scheme could have their badges confiscated through new legislation coming into force at the end of this month. The blue badge scheme provides an essential service for disabled people by allowing access to parking bays which are normally closer to work,

Back row from left: Susie Henderson, Craig McKerracher and Julie Doncaster. Front row: Fiona Pask and Jacqueline Leslie.

The first minister, Nicola Sturgeon (pictured), has welcomed Scottish Legal News’ findings on the growing number of women entering the legal profession. We found that 62 per cent of the 589 current Diploma in Legal Practice students are women with only 223 males taking the qualification necessary

In response to the publication of the Scottish Court Service's Evidence and Procedure Review Report, Ian Cruickshank convener of the Law Society of Scotland criminal law committee, said: “This review presents an important opportunity to examine current trial procedure and consider the best present

The Scottish Young Lawyers’ Association (SYLA) has announced two further events in its March programme. On Thursday, 19 March 2015, the latest "Spotlight on..." series event will be hosted by Clydesdale Bank in Glasgow.

Harper Macleod is growing its business from overseas by assisting companies in Eastern Europe gain a foothold in the UK, while advising Scottish businesses interested in expanding abroad. Romanian digital textbook company Lean Forwardhas established a presence in the UK after it was advised by Harpe

A former lord chancellor has delivered a speech criticising the current holder of the office for his failures to discharge his constitutional duties and uphold the rule of law as well as access to justice, The Times reports. Delivering the 2015 Bentham Lecture in London,Lord Falconer of Thoroton (pi

Scottish solicitors are showing greater confidence in the future of their profession according to a recent Law Society of Scotland survey. In the annual survey of Law Society members’ views, 61 per cent said that they were optimistic about the future of the profession, compared to just 53 per cent

Ninety-two year old Dundonian George Cameron says working as a legal messenger could be the secret of a long life. The retired baker took up his post as messenger at Lawson, Coull & Duncan27 years ago and plans to continue working for the firm until he reaches 100 years of age.

Law firms that do not address "the root causes of gender diversity" risk being "overtaken", according to a report from London business advisory group Skarbek Associates. The 'Diversify Or Die' report warns that "firms that do not make the most of their resources by addressing gender diversity risk a

A new report from the Intelligence and Security Committee says that the legal framework for surveillance is "unnecessarily complicated" and "lacks transparency". The 149-page document was prepared after an in-depth inquiry into UK security agencies, which investigated "the degree to which they intru