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Shoosmiths has appointed two principal associates and two associates to its real estate practice in Scotland. Ben Harper-Phillips has joined as a principal associate, having recently relocated to Scotland from Australia. An experienced real estate solicitor, who has been recognised in Best Lawyers i

Lawyers have responded with incredulity to the Trump administration's suggestion it could suspend habeas corpus rights in response to judges blocking or delaying deportations. Stephen Miller, the White House's deputy chief of staff, said on Friday that a suspension of the right of a detained person

Keir Starmer has announced a major crackdown on immigration to the UK in order to end what he called an "experiment in open borders". Echoing the language of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in the wake of his triumph in recent English local elections, Mr Starmer said yesterday his new approach to immi

Terra Firma Chambers’ Derek Francis has been awarded the Chartered Institute of Taxation and Association of Taxation Technicians Certificate of Merit and Appreciation at the CIOT and ATT Joint Presidents’ Reception held last Thursday at The Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh. The award was

A woman decided to divorce her husband after asking ChatGPT to interpret the meaning of her coffee grounds and being told they indicated he cheated on her. The unnamed woman from Greece was apparently taking part in an online trend of asking the AI-powered chatbot to act as a fortune teller, her baf

Shepherd and Wedderburn has announced the appointment of project finance specialist Graham Young as the latest partner to join its clean energy team. Mr Young brings extensive experience in complex banking and finance transactions, and his technical skillset and sector expertise have earned him a st

Domestic abuse victims should automatically receive civil legal aid, MSPs have been told. Criminal legal aid is already available to complainers in some circumstances, but those pursuing civil cases such as over children are not entitled to legal aid without means testing.

Partner and head of licensing (Scotland) for TLT LLP, Stephen McGowan, has been appointed to the board of the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA), the representative body for the tourism industry in Scotland. Mr McGowan, who was named Lawyer of the Year at the Scottish Legal Awards 2024, will take up hi

The “Women at the Scottish Bar” online careers clinic returns next month, where current female members of the bar will have confidential conversations with women keen to explore a career as an advocate. “Encouraging women to call to the Scottish Bar remains a key focus for us, and

Secondary school children at The Edinburgh Academy had the opportunity to take part in a mock trial criminal with S3 pupils playing the roles of prosecutor, defence agent, witnesses and jurors.

The Aberdeen Law Project (ALP) successfully represented a client in a fitness to practise hearing before the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), securing a withdrawal of all allegations of impairment. Lead advisor Samantha Tapak and the ALP team guided the client through the procedure and provi

McCash & Hunter LLP has welcomed Duncan Mackinnon as a consultant to its family law department. Mr Mackinnon has been practising in child law since 1991 and has been a Law Society accredited specialist in the field for many years.

Chloe Wales has joined Lindsays' rural – land and business team as a senior associate. Her appointment comes on the back of a triple promotion in which three new directors were appointed from within the department, which advises on the full spectrum of legal issues affecting individuals and ru

Gilson Gray has appointed experienced real estate lawyer Rajan Shori as partner and head of its real estate division in England. Mr Shori brings two decades of experience to the role, having supported investors, developers, lenders, and corporate occupiers through high-value transactions, acquisitio

David Hay KC recently returned to Scotland after attending an advocacy training course run by the General Bar Council of South Africa as one of four international guest trainers alongside a team of experienced senior-juniors, senior counsel and judges of the South African bar and bench.