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It was Juvenal. Or Plato. Or Socrates depending on your search engine. And, yes, it was a long, long time ago. But the principles remain the same. The checks and balances. The openness. The accountability. Scottish solicitors are accountable to the Law Society of Scotland. To whom are they the Law S

In a prosecution brought by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), former Rangers owner Craig Whyte has been charged with failing to provide passwords for various laptops and phones. Mr Whyte appeared today at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court, having been arrested at Manchester Airpor

On 31 December 2021, it will be the one-year anniversary of the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU, the date commonly referred to as ‘Brexit’. The UK remains home to approximately 3.5 million European nationals, most of whom should, by now, have taken steps to secure their immigrati

Human rights lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer has been sentenced to four years' imprisonment in Egypt following a widely-criticised trial. Mr el-Baqer was tried alongside blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah and journalist Mohamed 'Oxygen' Ibrahim before Egypt's controversial Emergency State Security Court (ESSC), whos

The Burness Paull Foundation completed another 12 months of helping good causes on a high with its annual Christmas appeal – raising £3,530 for the Scottish Refugee Council. A combination of foundation funding and contributions from Burness Paull colleagues, the donation was handed over

Berlin's public transport company has introduced cannabis-infused tickets which have a "calming effect" when eaten by passengers. BVG, which operates the U-Bahn, tram, bus and ferry systems in the German capital, said the special tickets are made from edible paper sprinkled with three drops of hemp

A Lord Ordinary has ruled that an insurer that had a claim brought against it following a bus accident in Malta could not claim relief or apportionment against the local transport authority after it was convened as a third party to the case. Simon Morrison, the pursuer, sought reparation from Middle

The Scottish government has announced today that the Law Society of Scotland has been authorised as a regulator of Licensed Legal Services Providers in Scotland. The government’s authorisation is a further step towards solicitors and non-solicitors being able to set up businesses together to p

The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) has today taken on a new role in relation to complaints in the new Alternative Business Structures regime. Following confirmation that the Scottish government has authorised the Law Society of Scotland as an Approved Regulator for Alternative Business

Kenny MacAskill has said the Scottish government must “come clean” over whether it was allowing prosecutors and women's groups to lay the ground for radical reform of the justice system as senior legal figures continue to insist on juryless trials. Mr MacAskill wrote to Justice Secretary

James Wolffe QC will be rejoining Brick Court Chambers in London – where he was a door tenant between 2013-16 – as a door tenant in the New Year. Before his appointment as lord advocate, Mr Wolffe had a substantial and wide-ranging public and commercial law practice at the Scottish bar.

Chris Mackay reveals whether courts can be used to recover documents relating to adjudication. Can you use the courts to recover documents from another party for the purposes of adjudication in Scotland?

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has written to the UK government objecting to “ill-judged and irresponsible” plans to revise and replace the Human Rights Act. In a letter to Lord Chancellor Dominic Raab, Mr Swinney described the proposals as an unacceptable attack on human rights, con

The divorce settlement that the ruler of Dubai has been ordered to make with his wife is the highest ever in an English court – standing at £554 million. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, 72, posed a serious risk to his former wife Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, 47, who fled to Lond

Glasgow lawyers Just Employment Law have raised an incredible £73,140 in an online auction held in November for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month (PCAM). The auction raised vital funds for Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland (PCAS), of whom Just Employment Law are long-term supporters.