News

Jodi Gordon, partner at Road Traffic Accident Law (Scotland) LLP, makes the case for lengthy driving bans instead of prison sentences following road fatalities. Following the death of a loved one in a road traffic collision, how family members perceive justice to have been served varies dramatically

The Scottish government, local authorities and political parties have been urged to formally adopt a definition of Islamophobia to help tackle prejudice and hatred. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and Wes Streeting from Westminster’s All-Party Group (APPG) on British Muslims visited Holyrood today to m

Laura Brennan, trainee solicitor at Govan Law Centre, explains the pitfalls of giving equity away to a quick home buy company in times of financial distress. Our recent Sheriff Appeal Court case of Santander -v- C emphasises the importance of homeowners seeking legal advice should their mortgage len

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) has published its findings on two incidents involving the use of PAVA irritant spray. In one case concerning the use of the spray on a 39-year-old man during a violent struggle in a police cell, the watchdog said the use was both necessary and

Glasgow lawyer David McRae, managing director of Just Employment Law, has spoken about his family experience of pancreatic cancer ahead of a major fundraising event for Pancreatic Cancer Scotland (PCS).

India's most senior judge, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, has denied allegations of sexual harassment from a former Supreme Court employee. In a sworn affidavit sent to all 22 Supreme Court judges, a 35-year-old woman said Justice Gogoi had "hugged me around the waist, and touched me all over my body w

Police have arrested a parrot which was trained to act as a lookout for drug dealers. The parrot had apparently been trained to shout "mum, the police!" on spotting officers and was seized during a drug raid on Monday.

A man found guilty of rape who claimed that evidence of a charge of sexual assault could not provide “mutual corroboration” for the rape charge has had an appeal against his conviction rejected. The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary held that the act of penetration need not be

Bristol-based Burges Salmon has announced the launch of its first Scottish office in Edinburgh as it seeks to expand its existing Scottish practice. The firm has appointed Danny Lee, Robert Forman and Craig Whelton as partners in the new office, which will officially open its doors in May.

The Law Society of Scotland has criticised Scotland’s legal complaints handling body for failing to listen to concerns over its plans to impose a third consecutive above-inflation rise in its budget and levy and has highlighted the need for improved oversight of the organisation. The Scottish

Solicitor Carol Gammie and advocate Laura Reilly have been appointed to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) for a four-year term. Ms Gammie is a solicitor, trained with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) before practising criminal defence in Kilmarnock for a num

The Faculty of Advocates has raised questions about the future use of protected trust deeds (PTDs) as a form of statutory debt solution. The Scottish government is consulting on proposals for changes to PTDs – voluntary but legally binding agreements to repay part or all of a person’s de

The Law Society of Scotland has unveiled changes to the Practice Rules which will provide Scottish solicitors with greater clarity on what is required of them in terms of interaction with the Society and anti-money laundering compliance. The new rules will take effect from 3 May 2019, coinciding wit

Given a number of Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) accusations against key suppliers to the construction sector, Jamie Dunne from Brodies has looked into the issue in more detail. The Competition and Markets Authority has recently accused six key suppliers to the construction sector of anti-c

The overall number of Scots facing insolvency in the first quarter of 2019 rose 29.2 per cent compared to the first quarter in 2018, according the latest Accountant in Bankruptcy figures released today. The AiB figures reveal that personal insolvencies rose from the 2,533 recorded in the first three