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The US has unilaterally blocked a hearing of the Supreme Court of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) from taking place on Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands. The UK claims sovereignty over the island, which forms part of the Chagos archipelago and has been home to an extensive US milita

A package of measures to help ensure refugees and people seeking asylum are supported has been unveiled. The New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: Delivery Plan 2024-2026 – developed by the Scottish government, Scottish Refugee Council and COSLA – includes commitments to work with empl

Watermans has welcomed its latest cohort of trainees. Rachel Durward, Robyn Lynch, Sonya Imtiaz and Bejna Demir have now all started their journey in dispute resolution. The new arrivals will be based at the firm’s office in Leith.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 26 June. Sustainable production and consumption are essential for net zero and the bill aims to support an economy which minimises waste and emissions through supporting re-use, refurbishment, maintenance and recycling. Ac

A court in south-west Spain has sentenced 15 schoolboys to a year's probation after they created and spread AI-generated images of their female peers. Police began investigating the case last year after parents in the Extremaduran town of Almendralejo reported fake and inappropriate images of their

Qasim Ali has returned to Lindsays as an associate following a spell away from the firm and will be based at its Glasgow city centre offices. Mr Ali was previously a solicitor with Lindsays between April 2021 and August 2023. He has experience in all areas of corporate law, with clients including in

Doubt has been cast on the convictions of Lucy Letby for the murder of babies in her care on the basis the expert opinions on which the jury relied do "not stand up to scrutiny". An article, which The Guardian has now published in the wake of Letby's retrial for the murder of Baby K, states that som

A prison in Brazil has swapped guard dogs for geese – which authorities say are cheaper and more effective. The São Pedro de Alcântara Penitentiary in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina recruited the nine "geese agents" late last year.

Criminal barristers across Ireland have withdrawn their services in a major escalation of The Bar of Ireland's campaign for an increase in fees paid to counsel. Dozens of barristers and some solicitor colleagues defied the wind and rain to gather in front of the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin

Human rights campaigners have urged Sir Keir Starmer to repeal the previous government's controversial Northern Ireland legacy law as soon as possible. Labour's manifesto included a commitment to “repeal and replace” the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, whi

A consultation is seeking views on reducing trauma for bereaved families of child homicide victims caused by the publicity arising from such cases. Justice Secretary Angela Constance published the consultation after hearing from bereaved families about the impact of ongoing news and social media cov

Satanists are seeking to volunteer in Florida schools under a new law which paves the way for religious chaplains to serve as school counsellors. Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said at the time of its passage that the legislation would help to solve a staffing crisis in public schools.

Views on the Scottish Law Commission's report on the review of contract law are being sought. The commission reported in March 2018 on a review of contract law dealing with the topics of formation, interpretation, remedies for breach and penalty clauses.

Accused persons’ journey times in Scotland’s criminal justice system have decreased over the last year, according to new statistics from Scotland’s chief statistician. Median journey times (date of offence to date of verdict) in 2023-24 were around two years and 10 months in High c

Richard Hermer KC, a barrister at Matrix Chambers and deputy High Court judge, has been appointed as the new attorney general of England and Wales. Born and raised in Wales, he studied politics and modern history at the University of Manchester before being called to the bar in 1993. Following pupil