News

A pilot granting access to free transcripts for complainers in High Court sexual offence cases has been extended for 12 months.  Justice Secretary Angela Constance confirmed the extension of the pilot to March 2025 in a letter to Holyrood's Criminal Justice Committee.

Members of the Scottish Human Rights Commission are travelling again to the Highlands and Island in February and March to deliver a series of community empowerment events. The purpose of these new engagements is to share findings and enable those working locally to use human rights to advocate for c

Scots lawyer Ken Swinton, editor of the Scottish Law Gazette, is to give a talk on his fascinating history of a street in Edinburgh's New Town at the Royal Scots Club on Monday February 17 at 7.00pm. During the pandemic, Mr Swinton assiduously researched the history and life stories of the residents

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched a free online tool to help organisations ensure their direct marketing activities comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR) and the UK GDPR. By answering a few questions, the tool aims to bring the relevant guidan

Cocaine is as harmless as whiskey and only illegal "because it is made in Latin America", the president of Colombia has said. Gustavo Petro, who presides over the world's largest producer of cocaine, claimed that scientists had analysed the drug and come to that conclusion, CBS News reports.

The US is to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) after Donald Trump accused it of having "engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel". The court issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders in November 2024 – which Tr

A new SLCC board member has been appointed. 

Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court's main building at Whytecauseway Kirkcaldy, will remain closed today. All criminal business including trials will  call in the Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court Annex building, Brycedale Avenue, Kirkcaldy. Accused and witnesses should attend as normal at that building.

A man whose dog chased, attacked and injured a deer while the dog was being used to hunt hares has become the first person in Scotland to be convicted and sentenced under new hunting legislation. Nickolas Chenier, 56, admitted to using his golden Lurcher for hare coursing on land near a cemetery in

Legislation aiming to simplify the funding system for learners at college and university and apprentices in Scotland has been published. The Scottish government has introduced the Tertiary Education and Training Bill at Holyrood, which is expected to examine it over the course of this year. 

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Sudanese people are ‘starving to death’, Human Rights Watch says

Two bereaved families have launched a legal challenge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) after they were denied financial support.

Alyson Forbes has been appointed as a legal member to the board of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC). Miss Forbes was a procurator fiscal depute in Crown Office for 22 years. She worked in both the High Court and Appeals Units in the Crown Office.

Freshers at Oxford University gathered on campus last weekend to compete in a mooting event organised by the Oxford Commercial Chancery Law Society (OCCLS). The moot, held at Magdalen College in Oxford, was sponsored by the Faculty of Advocates. The participating students were judged by Dr Jordan En

The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) is offering a free online training course for human rights defenders working on cases relating to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).  Taking place from 17–27 February, the programme is divided into 16 sessions co