News

The Scottish Parliament will be asked to approve the emergency release of some short-term prisoners to address the impacts of a rapid rise in the prison population. The legislation was announced to Parliament earlier this month by the Justice Secretary as an emergency response. If the regulations ar

The Scottish Land Commission has published its response to the Call for Views on the Land Reform Bill issued by the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. Michael Russell, chair of the Scottish Land Commission, said: “We welcome the Land Reform Bill, introduced b

Ireland has formally recognised the State of Palestine. As of yesterday, the Irish government recognises Palestine as a sovereign and independent state and has agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between Dublin and Ramallah.

Burges Salmon has advised Export Development Canada (EDC) and NatWest on the long-term financing of a 106MW wind farm, located in Caithness. Acting as co-mandated lead arrangers and co-lenders, EDC and NatWest together provided £130 million to support the construction of the Limekiln Wind Farm

The Scottish government is to review a law that effectively bans wood-burning stoves in new build homes after ministers admitted the regulations were “inflexible”.

Freedom of information is important according to the vast majority of respondents to a survey by the Scottish Information Commissioner. The research also found strong public support for the reform of FOI law in certain areas, including the extension of the law to cover new bodies such as provid

Legislation concerned with flexible working will form a key focus at CLT Scotland’s Employment Conference which will take place online on 12 June. Conference chair Lindsey Cartwright of Morton Fraser MacRoberts will look at how the new legislation on flexible working and carers leave is likely

MSPs have backed legislation giving councils a new power to introduce a visitor levy to raise funding for local visitor facilities and services. The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill will enable local authorities to apply a levy on overnight stays with all money raised to be reinvested in services and fa

An expert report on the division of the dual role of the lord advocate is expected in the coming weeks. The SNP had promised to make progress on considering reform of the role in its 2021 manifesto.

An octogenarian who allegedly spent close to a decade menacing his neighbourhood with a catapult has been apprehended. Prince King, 81, is accused by police in southern California of being a "serial slingshot shooter", NBC News reports.

The Scottish Law and Innovation Network (SCOTLIN) is hosting a right to repair event on 10 June at the University of Strathclyde. Professor Leanne Wiseman (Griffith University, Australia) will speak on the following topic: Reinvigorating Australia's Right to Repair: a consumer, competition, climate

A total of 1,153 executions took place around the world in 2023 – excluding China – marking an increase of more than 30 per cent from 2022. It was the highest figure recorded by Amnesty International since 2015, when 1,634 people were known to have been executed. Despite this increase, t

The Scottish government’s Land Reform Bill is "gambling" with the future of communities in rural Scotland and investment in the transition to net zero. Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, made the comments as it published its submission on the draft legislation follow

CMS has announced the appointment of Sally Clark to its team in Scotland. Ms Clark joins the firm’s disputes resolution practice in the role of of counsel to support its UK and international client base.

Digby Brown Solicitors has appointed three new partners. Fern Mapp takes her position with the foreign & travel team in Edinburgh – she is renowned for helping people in complex and high-profile matters like international offshore incidents and the Clutha helicopter disaster.