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Scotland’s criminal defence solicitors are to withdraw from a new flagship summary justice scheme in protest at the Scottish government’s failure to increase legal aid rates. The Scottish Solicitors Bar Association (SSBA) has confirmed that its members will no longer participate in imple

A drugs trafficker who tried to smuggle cannabis worth more than £1 million into Scotland from a car ferry has been jailed for three years and two months. Police officers discovered the controlled drugs after carrying out a search of Chace Cappellie’s vehicle at the Stena Line port at Ca

A runaway zebra has been caught by police and airlifted back to his owner after absconding for over a week. Rutherford County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee said the zebra, named Ed, was finally tracked down on Sunday after several sightings.

On 4 June the Supreme Court hosted an event entitled 'The Future of International Law', which saw court President Lord Reed in conversation with Lord Lloyd-Jones and Professor Dapo Akande.  The event was attended by senior representatives from the legal world, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Deve

More than 2,000 blades, alongside guns, ammunition and other weapons, were confiscated at Scottish court buildings over the past year, newly released figures show. Data obtained by the Daily Record through a freedom of information request reveals that security staff intercepted thousands of weapons

Solicitors employed on the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s emergency helpline have backed strike action over changes to shift patterns, The Scotsman reports. Sixteen solicitors working on the Solicitor Contact Line voted for industrial action following complaints that management had imposed 12-hour

The Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Association of Law Centres have jointly written to a parliamentary committee examining civil legal aid provision in Scotland to emphasise the urgent need for an increase in legal aid fees. Both legal bodies had previously provided written and verbal evide

First Minister John Swinney is to bring together voices from across Scotland to focus on actions that can help prevent youth violence. The summit will include contributions from the Justice and Education Secretaries, Ministers for Children and for Victims & Community Safety, as well as cross-par

Child law solicitor Lauren Fowler has passed away.

The International Bar Association (IBA) has condemned new sanctions against International Criminal Court judges by the US as an attack against the global rule of law and the independence of judges. IBA president Jaime Carey said: "Since its founding in 1947, the IBA has endeavoured to protect and ad

The new interim chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), Dame Vera Baird, has described the body as “incompetent". Dame Vera, a former solicitor general and victims’ commissioner, criticised the watchdog’s handling of the Andrew Malkinson case, where it failed to refer

One of the world’s foremost experts in forensic investigation will deliver a public lecture at the University of Dundee later this month exploring how science and technology are used in criminal investigations. Dr Sheila Willis, former director general of Forensic Science Ireland, will deliver

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