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A man jailed for stealing a 27-foot yacht from Arbroath Harbour had his sentence nearly doubled after he clapped at the sheriff in court. Richard Gould, 43, was sentenced to four months for the theft, but now must also serve three further months for contempt of court.

Controversial plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport have been thrown into doubt following a successful legal challenge by environmental campaigners. The Court of Appeal of England and Wales ruled that the UK Government’s proposed expansion of Europe’s busiest a

Members of the public are being invited to give their views on a new sentencing guideline which states that rehabilitation should be a primary consideration when young people are being sentenced. The Scottish Sentencing Council has today launched a 12-week public consultation seeking views on its dr

The Lord Advocate should test the constitutionality of an independence referendum held without the permission of Westminster by referring any enabling legislation to the Supreme Court, Joanna Cherry QC has suggested. Writing in The Times, Ms Cherry said that James Wolffe QC should “proact

The UK is to withdraw from the European arrest warrant scheme. In a document detailing Britain's approach to negotiations with the EU, the UK government said: “The agreement should instead provide for fast-track extradition arrangements, based on the EU’s surrender agreement with Norway

Six trailblazing women from Scotland’s past, including the country’s first female solicitor, have been recognised as Historic Environment Scotland (HES) announced the latest round of recipients of its commemorative plaque scheme. The national scheme, which has been running since 2012, ce

Shepherd and Wedderburn’s corporate finance team advised on deals with an aggregate value of £6.03 billion in 2019. The team, which was named Corporate and Commercial Team of the Year at the 2019 Scottish Legal Awards, advised on 85 deals globally in the year to December 2019, including

A human rights lawyer from Germany who says that hackers in the Middle East are trying to unlawfully access his emails has launched proceedings against Google in the Irish courts. Mark Somos is seeking orders that Google Ireland must assist him and his lawyers in identifying the parties allegedly at

The accelerated transfer of a judge who was critical of the Indian government's handling of violence in Delhi has raised concerns. Justice S Muralidhar, who was hearing a petition regarding the religious riots, condemned the police and central government on Wednesday, after which orders for his imme

Lynching is set to become a federal hate crime in the US more than a century after the first attempt to criminalise it. The Emmett Till Antilynching Act, passed by the Senate in 2018 and by the House of Representatives with an overwhelming majority yesterday, adds the offence of lynching to the US c

Aberdein Considine staff have handed over more than £50,000 to their chosen charities after a major year of fundraising.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Myanmar: Amal Clooney to pursue Rohingya case at The Hague | The Guardian

Police officers have attempted to coax meth users into handing over their stash by claiming it could be contaminated with coronavirus. A sheriff's office in north-west Kansas, where methamphetamine remains the most popular illegal drug, posted a public appeal on Facebook.

A complainer in a rape and domestic abuse assault case successfully challenged a court order authorising the accused to recover her medical records in a bid to disclose any “mental health problems”. The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary ruled that the applicatio

Celtic must accept responsibility for the abuse that took place at its feeder club, according to a report commissioned by the Scottish Football Association. Martin Henry, chairman of the Independent Review into Sexual Abuse in Scottish Football, said it is beyond doubt that Celtic could not be separ