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Retail trade union Usdaw is concerned by the continued growing trend of shoplifting incidents in Scotland, which have more than doubled since the pandemic, alongside a persistent decline in police ‘clear-up’ rates for the offence. The union welcomes that the protection of retail workers

A teenage influencer who is trying to become the first pilot to fly solo to every continent has been detained by Chilean authorities after an unauthorised trip to Antarctica. Prosecutors allege that 19-year-old Ethan Guo deliberately deviated from his flight plan over the southern Chilean city of Pu

A man who convinced thousands of followers that he was the reincarnation Christ has been imprisoned in Russia. Sergei Torop, a former traffic cop, founded the "Church of the Last Testament" in 1991 and recruited thousands of members in Siberia.

Sara Albizzati, a senior associate at Gibson Kerr, has received a Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Excellence Award for achieving the top distinction-level exam result for the Advanced Certificate in Taxation of Trusts and Estates (Scotland). The accolade is awarded to those who att

DLA Piper Scotland has bolstered its senior ranks with promotions in its Edinburgh office. Tony Holloran (litigation and regulatory), Jamie O'Neill (intellectual property and technology), Seb Galastro (real estate), and Jacques Camilleri (projects) have been promoted to legal director alongside seni

University of Glasgow in-house legal team trainee solicitor Holli McGuff has been named Rising Star of the Year at the Association of University Legal Practitioners Awards. The award invites those within the legal profession and working within the university environment to nominate a junior member o

A man who tried to murder his estranged wife by driving over her twice with his car has had his prison sentence increased following a successful Crown appeal. William Budge was previously jailed for seven years and four months in February 2025 after earlier pleading guilty to three charges at the Hi

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has closed its consultation on updates made to its Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, following the Supreme Court’s judgment in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers. Last year the EHRC ran a 12-week consultation

A rapist who systematically groomed and abused eight vulnerable young girls over the course of 16 years has been jailed. Gary MacPherson was found guilty of 22 charges, including rape, on 12 May 2025 following a trial at the High Court in Paisley.

Defence solicitors in Dundee are stepping up industrial action after what they described as “fruitless” talks with the Scottish government over criminal legal aid funding. Members of the Dundee Bar Association (DBA) have voted to withdraw from a scheme operating at Dundee Sheriff Court t

Views are being sought on a bill that would introduce the crime of ecocide into Scotland. The Ecocide (Scotland) Bill was introduced by Monica Lennon MSP on 29 May. Ms Lennon believes that creating a distinct criminal offence and increasing the penalties for perpetrators would reduce the likelihood

A 92-year-old man has been found guilty of the rape and murder of a 75-year-old widow in 1967 in what is believed to be the longest-running cold case ever solved in the UK. Ryland Headley, aged 34 at the time, broke into the home of Louisa Dunne in Bristol in June 1967 and attacked her. Her body was

A viral video clip has captured the moment a man joined a remote court hearing while using the toilet. Footage of the man clearly sitting on a toilet seat and making full use of the facilities was broadcast to the public via the YouTube stream from Gujarat High Court in India.

The English courts are to hear a challenge to the judicial appointments process on the basis that it still involves "secret soundings" which act as a barrier to diversity on the bench. A member of the GMB trade union's dedicated branch for members of the judiciary is challenging the Judicial Appoint

The WS Society's first group of summer scholars began their two week programme at the Signet Library. Maria Taciuk-Cabrolier (University of Edinburgh), Struan Macdonald (University of Dundee) and Charles Phillips (University of Edinburgh) will be researching the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and prep