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Increasing the role land plays in Scotland’s tax base and a local authority power targeted at newly derelict property are among the recommendations put to government ministers in today’s report on how Scotland’s land could be taxed better. The Scottish Land Commission was tasked wi

Criminal barrister Chris Daw QC has said prisons do not work when it comes to reducing crime and that many should be shut down. Mr Daw shared his views with host Byron Vincent in new podcast Justice, Disrupted, produced in association with Community Justice Scotland. “I would close almost ever

The Scottish Parliament has been warned that it could face legal action if it passes legislation banning ‘conversion therapy’, based on the “bias” and "inadequate scrutiny" of the issue by a committee of MSPs. The warning has been delivered in a letter from The Christian Inst

Pakistan has sworn in its first female Supreme Court judge. Ayesha Malik, 55, will sit alongside 16 men on the country's top court. She was educated at the Pakistan College of Law and Harvard University and has served as a judge in the city of Lahore for the past two decades.

Ian Beattie, chief operating officer of Lindsays, has spoken of his pride after receiving an MBE from the Princess Royal. Mr Beattie was awarded the honour for services to athletics after a long competitive and voluntary career in the sport. He became chair of UK Athletics in October, having held th

A free book exploring the law and practice of the Northern Ireland protocol has been published online. Edited by Professor Christopher McCrudden of Queen's University Belfast (QUB), the book was produced in "close partnership" with the Office of the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

Colm Dempsey, Kevin McCallum QC and Nicola Patrick have been appointed to the office of sheriff on the recommendation of the First Minister. Nicola Sturgeon made her recommendations for appointment on the basis of a report by the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.

Loyal fans of Hollywood star Ana de Armas are suing a film studio for $5 million after renting a film in the mistaken belief that she was in it alongside actress Lily James. Ms de Armas – who shot to fame with her appearance in Blade Runner 2049, Knives Out and No Time to Die – appeared

On 22 December the Scottish government ushered in a reform of the legal services market that has been sitting on the statute books for more than a decade, when it authorised the Law Society of Scotland to begin acting as an approved regulator under the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010. This change

Weightmans has made three appointments in its Glasgow office. Joanne Farrell joins the firm as a principal associate. She is a specialist defence personal injury solicitor and has joined the firm’s insurance litigation team. Previously at BTO Solicitors LLP for almost 20 years, she brings with

Copycat branding is nothing new; we regularly see it happening where a store sells an own-brand product (usually for a lower price) that very closely resembles a name-brand product. So, where should we draw the line between harmless lookalike and detrimental copycat? Last year, high-end gin company

Solicitor advocate Neil Hay and his team have joined Levy & McRae. Mr Hay brings with him his core legal team of associate solicitor Andrew Seggie and legal team PA Michelle McKinnon from MTM Defence Lawyers.

The Crown Office will not conduct a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the deaths of three people in Loch Lomond last summer. Edina Olahova, 29, her son Raza Haris Ali, 9, and friend Mohammad Asim Raza, 39, all drowned on July 24.

CMS has partnered with Young Enterprise (YE) Scotland to extend enterprise and financial education throughout Scotland’s schools and colleges. Under a joint arrangement, CMS will provide pro bono legal support to YE Scotland. In addition, CMS will explore ways it can contribute to the charity&

Specialist online courts should be established to tackle domestic abuse cases, it has been recommended. The Virtual Trials National Project board has issued its report on the piloting of virtual summary trials. The board, led by Sheriff Principal Derek Pyle of Grampian, Highland and Islands, suggest