News

Harper Macleod has strengthened its expertise in public and parliamentary law with new appointments. Lucy Frazer has joined the firm as a senior associate with expertise in equality issues, human rights and civil liberties. She brings significant experience of advising and litigating in relation to

Junior lawyers at leading City firms are working far beyond standard hours, with many reporting 12-hour days as routine, new research shows. A survey of more than 2,000 trainees and junior lawyers by Legal Cheek found the longest hours at the London offices of top US firms, which are known for their

A tourist hotspot has announced a new tax on dogs, to be paid both by local residents and visitors. Bolzano, in northern Italy, will ask local residents to pay an annual tax of €100 per dog, while tourists will have to cough up €1.50 per dog per day of their visit.

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been charged with crimes against humanity by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over allegations that he authorised killings during his country’s violent war on drugs. A 15-page charge sheet dated 4 July was made public on Mond

The Scottish Law Commission has today published its report on updating the law on the mental element in homicide including a draft Homicide (Scotland) Bill. The report notes criticisms which have been made of the current common-law-based Scots law governing murder and culpable homicide; refers to ho

Rights organisations could fall back on the UK-EU international dispute settlement procedure to defend human rights in Northern Ireland if the UK government wins in a major UK Supreme Court case, according to a new report. The report, published by Social Change Initiative (SCI) in partnership with t

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has announced the appointment of Dame Alison Saunders as the chair of its strategic board. Dame Alison brings extensive experience in criminal justice leadership to the role. She served as director of public prosecutions for England and Wales from 2013

Nicola Sturgeon will be among the guest speakers at CMS Scotland’s annual business conference next month. Hosted by broadcaster and journalist Kirsty Wark, CMS’s On Point event takes place on Thursday 2 October 2025 at Edinburgh’s EICC with its focus on Scottish business and the ne

Experts from around the world have worked together to expand a unique resource that helps countries, militaries, and academics understand how international law applies to cyber activities. The Cyber Law Toolkit offers a unique combination of resources, including detailed hypothetical scenarios, a re

Ministers have been criticised by Scotland’s transparency watchdog for wrongly attempting to block a freedom of information (FOI) request on the lord advocate’s reference to the Supreme Court over an independence referendum. In a sharply worded ruling, David Hamilton, the information com

A majority of a Scottish Parliament committee is unable to recommend the general principles of the Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill be agreed to.  The Health, Social Care and Sport committee has highlighted a series of concerns with the bill and said it will require significant amend

RTA Law LLP has been recognised at the Institute of Master Tutors of Driving’s annual awards lunch in Coventry for its work in advancing road safety and protecting vulnerable road users. Solicitors Zara Jones and Roz Galloway attended the event on behalf of the firm. Since its formation in 201

Graham Ogilvy, managing editor of Scottish Legal News, is to give an illustrated talk in Edinburgh on the treatment of an estimated 15,000 Scots who had the misfortune to fall into the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War Two.

North Korean authorities have cracked down on the phrase "I love you" as evidence of a "decadent lifestyle". According to Daily NK, factory officials in Hamhung, North Korea's second largest city, publicly condemned a love letter which was discovered in a young worker's bag during a routine ins

The Aberdeen Legal Walk will be held on Wednesday 8 October. Organised by the Robert Gordon University’s Grampian Community Law Centre, the walk will support and raise money for the Access to Justice Foundation.