News

The value of major fraud cases going through the Scottish courts increased by £11 million, according to the latest data from KPMG’s Fraud Barometer, which analyses alleged fraud worth more than £100,000. Cases, valued at more than £15.6m (£15,669,670), were heard in cou

Andrew Ireland offers his personal insights on recent mediations in which he has been involved, contrasting them with his experience of pre-trial meetings in personal injury cases. Recent articles in Scottish Legal News by Julie Hamilton of MacRoberts, David Hossack of Morton Fraser and by the Vice

The wreck of the RMS Titanic will be better protected under an historic international agreement between the UK and the US. On a visit to Belfast today, maritime minister Nusrat Ghani confirmed that the treaty signed by the UK in 2003 will into force following its ratification by US Secretary of

Controversial plans to allow judges in Poland to be sacked have been dealt a major set-back after they were rejected by the upper house of the country's parliament. The governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which won a second successive majority in last year's elections, is pressing on w

Two judges will be speaking at an event on diversity in the judiciary in Glasgow next month. Attendees at the event hosted by SEMLA and Ellis Whittam will hear from Mr Justice Choudhury and Sheriff Aisha Anwar on their paths to the bench.

The Edinburgh Tax Network, in conjunction with Terra Firma Chambers, will present a seminar entitled “(Tax) Year End Planning for Individuals & Owner Managed Businesses?” on Thursday 20th February 2020 at the Mackenzie Building, Old Assembly Close, Edinburgh. The speaker will be Mike

A judge cited hit TV sitcom Seinfeld as he allowed an appeal from a man convicted in absentia after missing a rescheduled court hearing. The man had attended court on time for the original scheduled hearing, which was subsequently cancelled, but then missed the rescheduled hearing by a couple of hou

A foreign student who pled guilty to fraud after falsely claiming she had indefinite leave to remain in order to obtain £23,000 in student funding to pay for a nursing course has successfully appealed against her 14-month prison sentence. The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary ruled

New legislation ensuring that any child witness in the most serious criminal cases will have their evidence pre-recorded comes into force today. The change, which will apply to certain cases in the High Court, will spare under 18s from having to give evidence during a trial.

The Electoral Commission should be given the power to initiate prosecutions at both national and local levels, a cross-party group of MPs has recommended. The proposal is one of 20 recommendations set out in a new report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on electoral campaigning transparen

Scottish Labour has called on the Lord Advocate, James Wolffe QC, to "consider his position" as a result of severe delays within the fatal accident inquiry system. The Sunday National has reported that a mother has been told that she will face an “unbearable” nine-month wait for a toxico

Gillespie Macandrew completed new build plot sales worth £285 million in 2019, representing an increase of 60 per cent on previous annual sale value and representing over 10 per cent of all private new build house sales in Scotland. Scotland is undergoing a programme of new housebuilding with

European organisations have been fined €114 million (£97m) under the GDPR regime, DLA Piper has found. France, Germany and Austria top the rankings for the total value of GDPR fines imposed with just over €51m, €24.5 million and €18 million respectively.

The UK's refusal to allow the inhabitants of the Chagos Islands to return to their homeland is a crime against humanity, an eminent international lawyer speaking in Edinburgh has said. Philippe Sands QC criticised Britain's failure to abide by a judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) w

Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee are set to visit new evidence-taking facilities as the Vulnerable Witnesses Act comes into force today. The new suite, which opened towards the end of last year, aims to provide a less daunting setting than a court for vulnerable witnesses