News

George Gebbie highlights injustices in Iran and warns that our own government is not immune to the temptations of power. On 16th September 2022, a young woman died in a hospital in Tehran, Iran. Her name was Mahsa Amini. She had been arrested by the religious morality police of that country’s

CMS has announced the appointment of new partners, Barry Edgar and Fenella Mason, who join its Glasgow and Edinburgh offices respectively. Mr Edgar is a commercial real estate lawyer with extensive experience in advising institutional and private equity clients on investment and development transact

Organisations that support victims of crime will be able to bid for support from a fund financed by penalties imposed on all offenders who receive a court fine. Successful applicants will be able to use their share of the £350,000 Victim Surcharge Fund, which is now in its fourth year, to prov

The Scottish government's legal regulation bill undermines the separation of powers, Scotland's most senior judge has reaffirmed. In a speech to open the new legal year, the Lord President, Lord Carloway, said that the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill, as drafted, "gives rise to serious

The Animal Law Foundation has threatened legal action against the UK government over the practice of boiling lobsters alive, which it says is illegal. The charity has penned a letter to ministers urging them to enforce laws that mandate humane treatment of recognised sentient beings during their sla

Views are being sought by the Criminal Justice Committee on a new bill which aims to strengthen public confidence in policing in Scotland and ensure investigations into police misconduct are more transparent and effective. The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill would require the p

As the pandemic’s aftershocks reverberate through the financial ecosystem, insolvency law specialists are bracing for an overwhelming influx of fraud-based legal cases, writes Alan Munro. The pandemic required the government to provide fast and extensive support to keep businesses and ind

BT Group has re-appointed Addleshaw Goddard to its legal panel in recognition of the firm's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The telecommunications group announced in 2020 that the firm within its existing panel that could demonstrate an overarching commitment to DEI would automa

Govan Law Centre calls for an increase in the protected minimum balance for earnings arrestments. A new Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill was introduced in the Scottish Parliament at the end of April and is currently before the Economy and Fair Work Committee for Stage 1 initial con

Police pulled over a stolen car only to find it was being driven by the owner's runaway 10-year-old son, accompanied by his 11-year-old sister. The young children decided to abscond after their mother confiscated their electronic devices and were caught hundreds of miles from their Florida home, pol

Barristers have been told to avoid “gratuitous attacks” on the judiciary and justice system on social media. The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has amended its guidelines to clarify what barristers can say online.

Daniel Bain has joined Balfour and Manson as a partner. Mr Bain was previously a legal director at Shepherd and Wedderburn where he had been since he was a trainee.

Judges have re-affirmed their concerns over juryless trials in a response to the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. Senators of the College of Justice gave a divided response to the Criminal Justice Committee on introducing juryless trials in plans for a pilot scheme that has att

The Scottish Arbitration Centre (SAC) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) have entered into a cooperation agreement. Through their agreement, the SAC and PCA will cooperate to promote the effective resolution of international disputes. Specifically, the SAC and the PCA will extend to one an

Via Jamie Kerr: "Packed day today at the annual Red Mass in Edinburgh to celebrate the opening of the new legal year. A great turnout with all branches of the profession represented as well as a delegation of lawyers and judges from the USA."