News

The Inner House of the Court of Session has reduced by one third an award of expenses due to be paid by an airline to a successful co-defender in an action raised by an injured passenger following a challenge to the determined expenses. It was not disputed that pursuer Colin Mather was entitled to h

Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP has promoted seven of its lawyers to partner and 10 to legal director. The promotions took effect on 1 May.

Dear Editor, Discussion of dispensing with juries for trials for charges of rape and attempted rape should not disregard the fact that an absolute right to jury trial has been no part of our law in recent history, if ever.

A university is being sued by more than a dozen graduates who wrongly believed their financial planning course was accredited and would allow them to start their professional careers. The 18 graduates of James Cook University in Queensland, Australia are pursuing a class action against their alma ma

An­drew Steven­son considers the price we will pay by adopting virtual courts. Support within the UK for the principles of maintaining a system where justice is administered locally or in public was evaporating even before Covid-19; in the decade to 2020, more than half the Magistrates Court

Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP has announced a string of promotions and appointments.

The process to appoint a new justice to sit in the UK Supreme Court has begun. As a result of the retirement of Lord Kitchin, applications are being sought for the appointment of a new justice, to take effect later this year.

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has launched a call for evidence on the role that lawyers’ conduct can play in the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). While the majority of NDAs are lawful and can legitimately be used to protect the confidentiality of sensitive business ideas and inform

Who remembers the Roberton Report? Who could have guessed the pandemic reasons for it ending up in the long grass for so long? Covered well by SLN, the announcement has, after a couple of contributions proved that the solicitor branch of the profession at least is as comfortable with its apathy as e

Brodies LLP has announced the appointment of five new partners in its latest round of internal promotions. Oil and gas lawyer, Laura Petrie makes the step up to partner, along with personal and family solicitor, Jessica Flowerdew, corporate and commercial lawyers Grant Strachan and Robert Ross, and

A letting company which ostensibly rented residential flats in Edinburgh on a holiday letting basis has been refused permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal against a decision that it was in breach of the repairing standard for residential properties. In an action raised by the City of Edinburgh

Roderick Macdonald, Lord Uist, warns that the Scottish government's new justice bill features two provisions which are "constitutionally repugnant" and must be removed. On 26 April 2023 the Scottish government introduced into the Scottish Parliament the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotlan

Scottish government plans to check up on the performance of the proposed juryless rape trials violate the separation of powers and are an attack on the independence of the judiciary, a former judge has said. Writing in Scottish Legal News today, Lord Uist, a retired senator of the College of Justice

In an effort to rekindle its appeal before the imminent general election, a Conservative Thai political party has lent its support to the legalisation of sex toys. The Democrat party's representative, Ratchada Thanadirek, pointed out that despite the country's laws prohibiting their sale, sex toys a

The Crown is to appeal the sentence imposed on Sean Hogg for the rape of a 13-year-old girl on the grounds that it is ‘unduly lenient’. Hogg, 21, was convicted in the High Court on 7 March and was sentenced on 3 April 2023. He was ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work. He wa