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From around 1835, Inverness Castle was the home of the city’s sheriff court until, earlier this year, all its business was permanently moved to a new “Justice Centre”, more functional but with considerably less style or grandeur. However, the future is precarious for many court bui

Benjamin Bestgen considers how the law might grapple with nanoscience. See his last jurisprudential primer here. Imagine you are trying to conceive a child using artificial methods. A robot so tiny you could breathe it in without noticing selects the most promising sperm and directly inserts it into

A prominent journalist has been suspended by a US magazine after he was allegedly spotted masturbating in a Zoom meeting, unaware that his camera was on. Jeffrey Toobin, one of the best-known legal commentators in the US, was supposed to be representing the country's courts in a New Yorker election

An insurance company that settled an action raised by a car crash victim has failed in its bid to have the pursuer’s expenses modified to nil on the basis that the action was unnecessary. Susan Keenan was in the passenger seat of a car being driven by her daughter when it was struck from

In the 1970s Ernst Schumacher, an unlikely named British Coal economist, wrote his famous work Small is Beautiful bequeathing the decade a title that became a mantra, but which arguably made little impact on society. Today, in a reaction to globalisation boosted by Covid lockdowns, a new slogan has

Care experienced children and young people are among those who will have the opportunity to give their opinions on new legislation which would incorporate an international human rights treaty into Scots law – in a Zoom chat with MSPs. Virtual calls hosted by children’s rights organisatio

A judge-led initiative in courts across the south of Scotland is proving successful in reducing the backlog of summary court cases caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, many Sheriff Court cases scheduled for trial resolve by an agreed guilty plea between the prosecutor and the defence agent

A former stable clerk is bringing an unfair dismissal claim against her former employer, The Herald reports. Susan Hastie, ex-senior clerk of Hastie Stable, is bringing an Employment Tribunal case against Faculty Services Ltd.

The first in this year’s series of Hamlyn Lectures is being hosted by the Faculty of Advocates and delivered by Eleanor Sharpston QC, Advocate General from 2006 to 2020 at the Court of Justice of the European Union. Three online lectures by Ms Sharpston will consider The Great Experiment: Cons

Prosecutors in England have been given new guidance on the impact of digital technology on sex and relationships, including the emergence of new rape myths links to sexting, dating apps and casual sex. The first fresh guidance on rape myths and stereotypes since 2012 is aimed at reflecting social ch

The Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) of the Scottish government has conducted its first ever virtual planning inquiry in Scotland. The appeal, heard between 13 and 16 October 2020, was in respect of an objection by the planning authority, Argyll and Bute Council, against the develo

​The Law Society of Scotland, in partnership with Peppy Health, has launched a menopause support resource, designed to help individuals and firms access the support that they need. Tailored to the Scottish legal profession, the advice offers: information on the menopause and its symptoms; recommen

Advocate Ximena Vengoechea will be among the participants at an upcoming event that seeks to promote the work of the Colombian Truth Commission and reach out to the Colombian diaspora. The commission is one of the organisations established in 2017 after the peace process between the armed forces and

The next event in CLT Scotland’s Scots Law 2020 Conventions Series will be taking place online from 23rd-27th November with delegates able to choose from 10 individual conferences.

Cash for Kids is set to receive a five-figure sum once again this year from Thorntons Solicitors as the beneficiary of the firm’s charity wills campaign. Taking place across its offices in Fife, Dundee, Perth, Angus and Edinburgh, Thorntons won’t charge a fee for wills written throughout