News

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

People with disabilities living in displacement camps after the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye are being overlooked in the humanitarian response to the disaster, Amnesty International has said in a new report. The report, 'We all need dignity’: The exclusion of persons with disabiliti

Jamie Kerr and Alex McLean provide some practical information on how the construction sector can benefit from the expansion of the Shortage Occupation List. In an attempt to address skills and labour shortages in the construction sector, a new report has recommended a number of changes to the UK vis

The Scottish government's controversial plans to introduce juryless trials have come in for yet more criticism. A pilot project in which judges alone would determine the guilt or innocence of people accused of rape would require the consent of the accused to participate. Lawyers are, unsurprisingly,

The UK government is to abandon plans to scrap or review EU law by the end of this year. business secretary Kemi Badenoch said that the majority of the 4,000 pieces of retained EU legislation would remain law and that up to some 800 would be removed.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Shifting alliances in Sudan’s Darfur as new civil war fears rise

Sophie Pike’s instructive blog about childcare and how the costs might be shared between separated parents sets out possible legal routes to resolve disagreement. We agree with her conclusion that it is far better for parents (and their children) to reach agreement and to steer clear of the c

An Edinburgh sheriff has ruled that the affairs of a scaffolding company had been conducted in a manner prejudicial to the interests of a man who was entitled to half the shares of the company by a stock transfer form completed by a late former director. Paul Curran made an application under section

A police officer who began a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman he met while on duty has been jailed for 14 months for an attempt to pervert the course of justice. Former PC Gavin Donaldson, from Midlothian, had admitted telling the woman to delete thousands of emails and messages they had