News

More than 100 organisations working to tackle violence against women and girls will receive £19 million in new funding.  The new support was confirmed by equalities minister Kaukab Stewart during a debate in Parliament to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Violence Against Women and Gir

England and Wales has one of the largest gaps in the world between the number of women lawyers overall and the number of women lawyers in senior roles, according to a report from the International Bar Association (IBA). The IBA has published the findings of its comparative research in 11 countries o

Sixteen lawyers have been appointed as legal members of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland. The new appointees are Eric Baijal, Katharine McKerrell, Bruce Beveridge, Colin Neilson, Joe Boyd, Ruth O’Hare, Stephanie Carr, Bobby Reid, Edward Christie, Ann Ritchie, Claire Currie, Amanda Snedd

The Tumbling Lassie’s annual fund-raising ball, held in Edinburgh last month, raised over £20,000 for anti-trafficking charities. The event was organised by the Faculty of Advocates’ Tumbling Lassie Committee to raise funds for IJM (International Justice Mission) and SOHTIS (Surviv

Katie McKenna has joined The Carvalho Consultancy, an agency dedicated to providing training, therapy and coaching to lawyers and legal professionals. Ms McKenna is a trauma-informed psychotherapist with deep roots in the Scottish legal profession. She had a varied career with Harper Macleod, Digby

A mother is suing toy giant Mattel after purchasing a Wicked doll with a misprinted web address that led to a pornographic website. Mattel apologised last month for the packaging mistake on the first run of fashion dolls based on Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's characters in the new film adaptatio

ESPC has announced the appointment of two new directors to the company’s board: Jill Andrew, partner at Connell and Connell, and Caitlin Keegan, residential property legal director at Gillespie Macandrew. Ms Andrew, who joined Connell & Connell in November 2024, brings 25 years of experien

BTO has announced the promotion of Paul Greenhill to partner within its real estate team. A dual-qualified lawyer in Scots and English law, he has built a reputation for delivering tailored, strategic advice across a range of real estate matters.

Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, according to a major new report from Amnesty International. The publication of the 296-page report is notable as it is the first time since October 2023 that a major western human rights organi

The Crown Office has lodged a first notice with the Sheriff Court to commence the court process for a joint fatal accident inquiry into the deaths of Francis Peter McCarthy and John Hay Angus. Francis Peter McCarthy, 59, died on 12 April 2020 in Glasgow Royal Infirmary after being transferred from H

Thorntons’ Edinburgh team has achieved a record annual fee income of approaching £12 million as the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary in the capital. The firm opened its doors in North Castle Street in November 2004 with just three employees. Now based at Haymarket, it boasts a team o

A centenarian former Nazi camp guard could stand trial in Germany after a regional court dismissed a ruling which had found he was unfit to stand trial. Gregor Formanek is accused of participating in the murder of 3,300 people when he was a guard at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, near Berlin,

Anna MacKay, a criminal defence solicitor at Scullion LAW, won the Rising Star of the Year Award at the recent Legal 500 Awards.  Kris Buchanan, head of criminal law, said: “Huge congratulations to Anna MacKay. She is considered one of the finest criminal law practitioners in the country.

The challenges in sentencing people with mental health and related issues are outlined in two new reports, published today by the Scottish Sentencing Council. An issues paper, Judicial perspectives of mental health and sentencing presents the findings of research undertaken by the council in late 20

The Law Society of Scotland has urged MSPs to make further changes to proposed criminal justice legislation because of the risk of miscarriages of justice. Stuart Munro, the convener of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee, appeared before the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice C