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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling for views on new guidance setting out how it approaches investigations and takes enforcement action. The guidance aims to increase transparency about the process the ICO follows when it suspects an organisation has failed to comply with it

Lawyers and charities across the UK are marking the 24th annual Pro Bono Week this week, recognising the impact of free legal assistance provided by volunteers nationwide to those who would otherwise be unable to access such support. The week’s events showcase the breadth of pro bono support a

Implementing new regulatory measures, supporting the adoption of AI technologies within the legal sector, and next year’s Scottish elections will be key areas of focus for the Law Society of Scotland over the next 12 months. The Law Society has set out 16 new projects for the 2025/26 practice

Scotland’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill takes centre stage at Holyrood again today as MSPs begin three weeks scrutinising almost 300 amendments to the proposed legislation. The private member's bill sponsored by Lib Dem Liam McArthur narrowly passed stage one earlie

5 has acquired all 27 series of one of the world’s longest-running crime dramas – Taggart – in a deal with the show’s creators, STV Studios. All 110 episodes of the hit Scottish drama, which originally ran from 1983 to 2010, will be made available on 5’s streaming servi

A judge in Belgium has warned that the country is "evolving into a narco-state", with the government accused of failing to adequately support judges intimidated by drug traffickers. Belgium's court and tribunals service last week published an open letter penned by one of the 17 investigating judges

Tony Lenehan KC remains the top earner of legal aid fees, new figures from the Scottish Legal Aid Board detailing gross earnings show. In 2024-25, Mr Lenehan’s fees were £490,000, an increase of £40,000, or nine per cent, on the previous year. Donald Findlay KC rose from third to s

The Scottish government’s plans to expand the prison estate will still leave the country short of space for its current inmate population, new analysis has found. The existing design capacity of Scotland’s prisons is 7,805, yet the total population stands at 8,391 – almost 600 more

A fatal accident inquiry could bring the stalled £50 million Sheku Bayoh probe to a conclusion within weeks, a police lawyer has said. Professor Peter Watson, who represented the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) at the inquiry, said an FAI as “inevitable” and that it could “s

We are delighted to advise that registration is now open for our Annual Conference on Friday 21st November from 12:30pm until 5:30pm at the Balmoral Hotel. Under the Law Society of Scotland's Guidelines, delegates may claim 3 hours of CPD time. The conference is open to all solicitors, in-house lawy

Ahead of the 75th anniversary of the signing of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) tomorrow, First Minister John Swinney has reiterated Scotland’s "commitment to human rights, equality and dignity for all". Mr Swinney said: “Signed in the aftermath of World War II, with the a

Latvia could become the first EU country to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on violence against women following a vote by MPs. MPs last week backed withdrawal by 56-32 with two abstentions, despite some of the largest protests in recent Latvian history, with around 5,000 people taking to the s

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is to move away from Microsoft software in favour of an open-source alternative in response to sanctions imposed by the US government, according to reports. In May this year, it was reported that Microsoft disconnected the email account of the ICC's chief prose

A man who murdered his wife on New Year’s Day has been jailed for life. Mompati Dodo Isaacs stabbed Keotshepile Naso Isaacs, known as Naso, to death at the family home in North Berwick on 1 January 2024.

The trial of three alleged fake lawyers was abruptly halted after it emerged their lawyer was himself not qualified to practise. Peter Ngeri Ouma admitted not holding a valid practising certificate while appearing in a Kenyan court representing three men accused of fraudulently masquerading as lawye