News

A number of new sheriffs and summary sheriffs have been appointed. Her Majesty The Queen has appointed 11 sheriffs and three summary sheriffs on the recommendation of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Gilson Gray has appointed Lindsay Darroch as partner and head of Gilson Gray's Dundee office. Mr Darroch joins the firm with 27 years' experience and specialises in all aspects of property law including real estate, residential sales and purchases on behalf of individuals, developers, lenders and pr

A fostering couple have won a legal battle against a local authority over employment rights in a legal decision that will be "highly significant" for Scotland's other 4,000 foster carers. Jimmy and Christine Johnstone were the first foster carers to be given employment rights after an employmen

Bill Meldrum presents the five key principles that should focus landlords' minds around how they interact with commercial tenants. The UK’s commercial property sector faces its own set of challenges due to the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to our world.

Glasgow Caledonian University has launched a new student-led podcast which aims to make legal matters more accessible. The new podcast will feature writers, campaigners, and guests from the Scottish legal profession.

Scottish Labour has called on the Scottish government to update disaggregated hate crime data as the current figures are seven years out of date. Disaggregated data on racially-motivated hate crime has not been published since 2013-14 and Scottish Labour is calling for updated figures to be released

Around 54 million people are being referred to prosecutors for failing to vote in recent elections in Egypt. Voting is mandatory in the north African country but only 14 per cent of voters turned out for Senate elections earlier in August.

A Chinese citizen who claimed to be at risk of persecution in China because of his practise of the banned Falun Gong religion has lost his appeal against a decision by the Home Secretary to treat his further submissions as a fresh claim. Zuo Hui Xie raised a petition for judicial review of the decis

The Home Office has been roundly condemned by lawyers for attacking the integrity of the legal profession and undermining the rule of law after releasing a video accusing "activist lawyers" of delaying deportations. The video, which was posted on the Home Office's Twitter page but later removed, cla

New restrictions on social gatherings have come into force today and Police Scotland have been granted powers to enforce them. Under the new regulations, it is an offence to breach COVID-19 guidance by having a large house party indoors.

Fraser Tait has been appointed private client solicitor at Charles Wood & Son, Kirkcaldy, while Dionne Brady has completed her traineeship with the firm and has become a solicitor within its civil court department. Mr Tait, formerly of BTO in Edinburgh, brings considerable experience t

A young woman branded "naïve" for aspiring to a career in law, but who overcame every obstacle in her path to realise her dream, is now lending a helping hand to those following in her footsteps with the launch of online resource Legable. Lauren Bowie, 22, from Ayr in South Ayrshire, gradu

The UK government has announced that it will be introducing a new "world-leading" law to clean up the UK's supply chains and protect rainforests from illegal deforestation. The proposed legislation would prohibit larger UK businesses from using products grown on land that was deforested illegally.

The Saudi Human Rights Commission has announced that, following a royal decree, the sentences of all people convicted of childhood crimes will be reviewed. According to a new Royal Order, all authorities must suspend the application of the death penalty for those convicted while they were minors, pe

A new report seeks to address the erosion of public trust in the justice system's response to deaths that give rise to public concern. When a catastrophic event or systemic failure results in death or injury, the justice system must provide a framework to understand what happened and to prevent recu