News

The Civil Division of the Sheriff Appeal Court has allowed an appeal by an Edinburgh university after a sheriff dismissed its action for payment against a former postgraduate student dismissed for jurisdictional reasons. Heriot-Watt University sought payment of £7,000 from its f

Pictured (L-R): Jennifer Smith, Laura Sinclair and Neil Risk. Credit: Dave Donaldson Anderson Strathern has announced a merger with Lerwick-based Neil Risk Solicitor and Estate Agent.

Scotland’s ability to legislate in areas such as food, health and environmental standards is being undermined in a “systematic attack” on devolution, Constitution Secretary Michael Russell has said. A report published by the Scottish government details the extent to which the Scott

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has welcomed official figures showing a 40 per cent increase in the use of bail supervision in 2019-20. Bail supervision can be imposed by a court where individuals are assessed as needing a level of supervision and support to meet their bail conditions, and can help m

English and Scottish prisons are “traumatising, rigid and frequently dangerous places” for LGBT+ inmates, a University of Dundee study has found. The research found that LGBT+ people are disproportionately affected by violence and hate crimes and are more likely to experience high levels

The final court order in a judicial review brought by the Good Law Project has found that Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled MPs when he said all Covid-19 contracts were "on the record for everybody to see". The High Court in London ruled last month that Health Secretary Matt Hancock had acted unla

Nicola Buchanan has joined Scullion LAW as a senior associate. Ms Buchanan has been practising exclusively in the field of family law since 2005. She specialises in divorce, financial provision, cohabitation, contact/residence disputes and relocation cases as well as the preparation and negotiation

Following the recent formation of the New Homes Quality Board to put the New Homes Ombudsman Service into place, a Scottish construction solicitor has urged the board to give the ombudsman wide regulatory powers and include consumers who instruct works to refurbish, redesign or extend their exi

Early adopters of sustainable practices, including retrofit programmes, may be better placed to reap future benefits, writes Sheelagh Cooley. In the year that Glasgow hosts the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), UK law firm Shoosmiths joined over 120 other UK businesses committing to

More than half a million pounds has been awarded to eight projects working to deliver more support to people living with drug addiction. Each of the eight projects will use their share of the £514,000 of investment to increase staffing levels in their work with people with multiple complex nee

An Italian mafia boss who swapped drug smuggling for the dole queue has been arrested. Police believe Giuseppe Refrigeri, 66, is a leader of the Banda della Marranella, which allegedly has a virtual monopoly on the drugs trade in Rome.

The High Court of Justiciary has refused six conjoined appeals against conviction by a group of men convicted of conspiring to murder a family in Glasgow. Brian Ferguson, Andrew Gallacher, Robert Pickett, Andrew Sinclair, John Hardie, and Peter Bain were sente

Most drugs are not inherently dangerous when used casually and drug interventions that are punitive and reinforce criminal identity are ineffective, according to a new paper. In a report for the Scottish government that looks at the drugs laws of five countries, it was found that the hierarchy of ha

Liberal Democrat Peer Sir Ming Campbell QC has suggested that the Crown Office should be headed by someone similar to the director of public prosecutions in England and Wales, following a survey by Scottish Legal News on the dual role of the Lord Advocate. Sir Ming told The Herald on Sunday that it

BTO has appointed Gregor Mitchell as head of its private client team based in Edinburgh to further enhance the firm’s legal services provided to individuals. A recognised expert in private client law, he brings over 30 years of experience advising individuals in relation to wills, trusts, esta