News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's appointment of 16 new peers runs contrary to his predecessors' promises to limit numbers in the House of Lords, Conservative peer Lord Fowler has said. Membership in the house now stands at 830, a move that the Lord Speaker said runs "smack against" the recommendations

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that the Stone of Destiny is to be relocated to Perth. The announcement to the Scottish Parliament was made on behalf of the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia, who advise Her Majesty The Queen about all matters relating to the Stone.

A judge will hear evidence over whether a bus company failed to provide Glasgow City Council with an accurate reference for the driver of a lorry whose collapse at the wheel resulted in six deaths. Lord Ericht in the Outer House arranged for a new four-day hearing to take place next month.

Dr Thomas Muinzer of Aberdeen University writes about a complaint lodged with the European Commission over the climate emergency following the UK government's failure to respond to a request for the expansion of "greenhouse gas" in law. It has been outlined recently in SLN that the Scottish Climate

Author Alexander McCall Smith CBE has been chosen as this year's recipient of the Edinburgh Award. In recognition of his writing success, legal career and work within academia, Mr McCall Smith will be presented with an engraved Loving Cup from the Lord Provost and have his handprints set in stone at

As the year comes to a close with Christmas all but cancelled, it is hard to imagine that any good has come from Covid-19. For Morton Fraser partner David Hossack, however, one positive to come out of the coronavirus pandemic is that it has helped to highlight the role mediation can play in the reso

The Scottish team at Clyde & Co has raised over £10,000 for charities in the final months of 2020, including many significant donations as part of a UK-wide festive giving drive in the run up to Christmas. Clyde & Co’s corporate responsibility and inclusion team organised many ch

Diners who leave food on their plate will be fined under a new Chinese law. New legislation designed to support a government campaign against food waste will introduce fines for diners with eyes bigger than their stomachs.

The proprietor of a 350-year-old coastal home in Fife has failed to establish the existence of a servitude right of access over a strip of land within the curtilage of a neighbouring property, either by prescription or by necessity. Major Douglas Soulsby contended that an extension built by the

The US yesterday charged a Libyan man in connection with the Lockerbie bombing, on the 32nd anniversary of the atrocity. Abu Agela Masud has been charged with making the bomb used in the attack. US Attorney General Bill Barr said he was confident that authorities would be able to extradite Mr Masud

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has appointed Mairi Gougeon as the new minister for public health and sport, among a range of new appointments which she said come “at a crucial time for Scotland” as the nation faces a number of challenges. Ben Macpherson, who graduated in law from Ed

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has completed the transfer of ownership of the former Arbroath Sheriff Court building.  The transfer to Arbroath Community Courthouse Trust (ACCT) was arranged under the Community Empowerment Act. This was made on the condition that the full refu

As the Financial Conduct Authority investigation into the 2018 Carillion case concludes with the watchdog intending to take further action against its directors, Ramsay Hall details how the case is a salutary lesson for the industry. Interaction with health, safety and environmental regulators

Shepherd and Wedderburn’s banking and finance team has reported a busy 12 months. In the year to 31 October 2020, the team advised clients, including banks, funds, financial institutions, alternative lenders, public bodies, corporate borrowers and sponsors, on deals with a total value of more

Major changes to the way courts interpret the Human Rights Act are necessary so the legislation does more to protect people detained because of the expansion of police powers, a new study says. The right to liberty and security is enshrined in article 5 of the act and was intended to refer to arrest