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A lecture at the University of Edinburgh will examine how adoption law defines family relationships and how approaches to adoption vary across legal and cultural settings. The W.A. Wilson Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Professor Anne Röthel, director of the Max Planck Institute for Compa

Plans to make public procurement for lower-value contracts quicker, simpler and more proportionate have been announced. Subject to Holyrood's approval, the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 threshold for goods and services will be increased from £50,000 to £100,000 and the works thr

Kirsten Gallacher has been elected as the new president of the Scottish Young Lawyers Association (SYLA). Amina Amin will remain on the committee as past president. The other committee members who were elected at last week's AGM are:

The Criminal Justice Committee is carrying out an inquiry into crime and antisocial behaviour associated with e-bikes and e-scooters. The inquiry will focus on four key areas: causes, impact, enforcement and prevention. 

Shakespeare Martineau has promoted David Perdikou from associate to legal director. Based in the firm’s Edinburgh office, Mr Perdikou advises clients on a broad range of commercial property matters, including investment transactions, leasing, development projects and real estate finance.

Under-18s will no longer be able to buy nicotine or herbal smoking products in Scotland, under new legislation which has come into force. The ban to protect children and young people from the harms of nicotine addiction extends the protections in age-of-sale rules to all nicotine products, including

A victims’ fund financed by penalties imposed on convicted offenders is open for new applications. More than 10,000 people have been helped through the Victim Surcharge Fund since it was established in 2019, with almost £3.5 million paid out so far.

The Criminal Justice committee is undertaking a short inquiry into AI-generated image abuse and deepfake pornography. The committee has launched its inquiry due to the increasing use of AI-generated intimate images, the harms experienced by victims, and the challenges these offences can present for

A solicitor has been found in contempt of court for a failure to engage with both the court and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) in relation to a complaint. The solicitor did not respond to the SLCC when a statutory request was made for the relevant case file for the complaint to be i

A groundbreaking exhibition on the history of pro bono legal work across the UK has been officially launched in the Houses of Parliament and is now available to view online. The History of Pro Bono exhibition has been created to mark the 25th anniversary of UK Pro Bono Week, which takes place from 2

A State Duma committee has backed a bill allowing Russia to register vehicles reported stolen in countries it labels “unfriendly”. The proposal would let the Interior Ministry set special procedures for cars listed as stolen internationally. The ministry says it has found about 1,500 suc

Our weekly round-up of human rights stories from around the world.

Lloyds Banking Group, Mondelez International and Société Générale have joined the In House Pro Bono Pledge, bringing its total membership to 25. The pledge asks corporate legal teams to build pro bono work into their organisations. It was launched in April 2024 by the In

The Scottish Land Commission has welcomed Megan MacInnes as its new head of practice and advice. Ms MacInnes joins the commission at an important time for land reform in Scotland, with the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 bringing a renewed focus on responsible land ownership and the role of communit

The Crown Office has lodged a first notice to begin the court process for a fatal accident inquiry into the death of 57-year-old Stuart Drury. The 57-year-old, a prisoner within HMP Edinburgh, died on 3 August 2023.