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Legal aid fees have increased by five per cent across the board from today, the biggest increase in more than a decade – but the Law Society of Scotland has warned that more must be done to address a "generation of underfunding". The Scottish government unveiled its revised legal aid package i

Gillespie Macandrew has announced the promotion of seven lawyers and two tax specialists across its Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth offices. Ashley McCann, Austin Burns and Patrick Munro have been promoted to associate, while David Halligan, Gillian Wilson, Melissa Strachan and Susan Henretty have bee

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been cleared of breaching the ministerial code following an independent inquiry by James Hamilton, an Irish barrister and former director of public prosecutions. Mr Hamilton, the Scottish government's independent adviser on the ministerial code since 2013, began an

Private residential landlords would be wise to take notice of Scotland’s first wrongful termination order. It establishes the fact that the law has teeth and can bite, writes Paul Harper. It is a ruling which underpins the fact that it could prove costly to evict tenants under false pretences

Addleshaw Goddard has called on the Scottish government to provide "urgent clarity" to retail landlords and occupiers over what will happen after the end of the evictions moratorium in six months' time. MSPs have voted in favour of extending the legislation but ministers are yet to announce plans fo

A new legislative framework for self-driving vehicles is needed and should hold them to the same standard as a "competent and careful" human driver, the Faculty of Advocates has said. The Faculty has published its response to the joint consultation paper on automated vehicles launched by the Scottis

The All-Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court has determined that Forth Boat Tours are not liable for injuries sustained by a former employee on July 2018, writes Ross Fairweather. In July 2018, the pursuer was working in the course of his employment as a barman with Forth Boat Tours. The defender

There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has altered the approach that the European Patent Office (EPO) has taken with respect to oral proceedings being held by video conferencing, writes Stefanie Glassford. Prior to 2020, whilst oral proceedings by video conferencing before an Examining Divisio

The extended presumption against short sentences has led to a decline of custodial sentences of 12 months or less, but its full impact remains unclear due the Covid-19 pandemic. Scotland's chief statistician today published a bulletin on the presumption against short sentences (PASS), which was exte

A man arrested for allegedly stealing a police car managed to escape custody by stealing a second police car, a police force said. Police in Quebec, Canada say they were alerted just after noon yesterday that a police car had been stolen during a police operation.

Draft legislation to provide for a fresh referendum on Scottish independence has been published by the Scottish government ahead of the May elections. Ministers say it will be up to the government formed after the elections to consider whether to formally introduce its proposed Scottish Independence

The Civil Division of the Sheriff Appeal Court has remitted a claim made under Simple Procedure rules for the return of a television to its original owner back to the sheriff after it was ruled that he was not entitled to determine that its prospective purchaser had failed to comply with an unless o

Douglas J. Cusine challenges Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf to break his silence on Scotland's malicious prosecution scandal. A month ago, I posed the question in relation to the Rangers malicious prosecution case: “Where has the Justice Secretary gone?” He has not even said whether ther

The Scottish Law Commission will publish delayed discussion papers on personal injury payouts and homicide this year following the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. Writing in the foreword to its annual report for 2020, chairperson Lady Paton said the Commission's publications over the course of

Six new members have been appointed to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) Board with effect from next month. The new members who will take up their positions on 1 April are: