News

A man who coated pheasant carcasses in rat poison to bait and injure other legally protected wildlife has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work. Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar, carried out the crime as part of an ongoing feud with a local landowner over shooting rights. He hoped tha

A trainee lawyer who was mocked and beaten by police following an anti-globalisation protest in Italy in 2001 suffered a violation of his rights, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. Andrea Cioffi was removed by police from a hospital where he was being treated following violent clashes bet

Four men convicted of bribery and corrupt practices over the awarding of NHS contracts worth £6 million have been imprisoned for a total of 29 years. Alan Hush, 68, Adam Sharoudi, 41, Gavin Brown, 48, and Gavin Cox, 60, were convicted by a jury at the High Court in Glasgow following an investi

Harper Macleod has advised on the sale of The Golden Lion Hotel, one of Scotland’s oldest and most culturally significant hotels, located in the heart of Stirling.  The transaction was led by Paul Macdonald, a partner in Harper Macleod’s corporate team, who has extensive business su

A city's ban on yoga classes in public parks and beaches has been rubbished by a court. The US city of San Diego’s ban on yoga classes was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court, which found the activity protected by the First Amendment.

The Scotsman has published a full obituary of Lord Ross, who passed away on April 26 this year. "Donald Ross held a succession of the highest offices in the Scottish legal system of which he was a proud and doughty champion. He was the youngest of three children of John Ross, a solicitor in Dundee.

David Cameron, the former prime minister, has joined DLA Piper as a consultant.  He will provide guidance on the various locations in which the firm operates, including on the issue of geopolitical risk.

A new bill aimed at tackling problems with Scotland’s 20-year-old freedom of information (FOI) regime has been welcomed. The Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland (CFOIS) expressed its support for Katy Clark MSP’s Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill, which proposes th

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is to establish a commission to consider whether the UK should withdraw from various international treaties, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and amend domestic laws that some in the party believe are restricting government action. The commi

The trial of a Libyan man accused of constructing the bomb that brought down Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie has been postponed until spring 2026. Abu Agila Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, known as Masud, was due to go on trial in Washington last month, but proceedings were delayed due to his health and th

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. DRC: M23 rebels executed at least 21 civilians in Goma, Human Rights Watch says

The average selling price of property across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders during March-May 2025 was £283,335, 3.6 per cent higher than the same time last year. The most expensive region to buy a property was Edinburgh, with an average price of £301,077, while the most af

Burges Salmon has advised the majority shareholders of Aberdeen-based Encomara, a floating wind and subsea engineering firm, on the sale of the business to Inverness-headquartered Aurora Energy Services. Encomara will maintain its brand and product identity while gaining access to Aurora’s glo

Perth law firm Kippen Campbell LLP has raised £3,380 by participating in Will Aid. Jacqueline Dow, from the firm, said: “Will Aid is a fantastic initiative, and we’re thrilled to have helped so many people put their affairs in order while raising such a substantial amount for chari

Justice Secretary Angela Constance has announced a funding boost for a specialist centre aimed at tackling violent crime. The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit is to receive a seven per cent boost in funding to £1.2 million due to concerns about a “youth violence epidemic”.