News

The number of people appearing in Tayside and Fife courts on charges of stalking has soared to more than twice the level of just two years ago. The numbers were revealed under a freedom of information request by The Courier. Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court has seen the biggest surge in cases, with three tim

Plans by the Scottish Government to remove the Crofting Commission from the list of tribunals in the Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014 have been supported by the Faculty of Advocates.

Kate Frame The Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) has begun two new investigations.

A homeowner has been refused leave to appeal against a decision of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission to dismiss his complaint against a legal firm as “totally without merit”. Refusing the application, a judge in the Court of Session said he was “unable to detect any error of law or irra

Professor Hector MacQueen Scots law has traditionally allowed the parties to a contract to create rights under their contract for others (who are called “third parties”, to mark out the distinction between them and the contracting parties). The process goes by the Latin name of jus quaesitum ter

Ross Yuill A report published this week found that courts that took on business in the wake of closures have performed well – but issues still persist elsewhere.

The new Vice-President of the Sheriff Appeal Court is to be Sheriff Principal Ian Abercrombie QC, it has been announced. Sheriff Principal Abercrombie will replace Sheriff Principal Craig Scott QC, who retires on 31 August. The appointment, until 20 April, 2020, was confirmed by the Lord President.

Tim Haddow

Professor John Hudson An expert in legal history and medieval studies has been elected to the British Academy.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg A US Supreme Court judge has said she regrets criticising US presidential hopeful Donald Trump by calling him a “faker”.

An action for damages for "loss of society" brought by the biological siblings of a person who was adopted into another family and later died has been dismissed. A judge in the Court of Session ruled that the biological members of the family of a person who has been adopted have "no title to sue" fo

Stephen Gibb Shepherd and Wedderburn has announced a third consecutive year of growth. In its latest results for the year ending 30 April 2016, the firm’s revenue grew by more than 11 per cent to £53 million with profits increasing by 20 per cent to £21.5m. Solid growth was recorded across the f

Lord Campbell A new Act of Union that would “wrest back the initiative from the separatists” and create a federal Britain has been proposed by a cross-party parliamentary group in a new draft bill.

Neil Stevenson

Regulations laid at Westminster today will begin the transfer of powers to enable the Scottish Parliament to start legislating on social security and employability. The powers will include the ability to implement new arrangements to support people in receipt of benefits to be devolved, and the long