News

The Faculty of Advocates has given strong support for reform of the “archaic” offence of child cruelty, but warned that care must be taken to prevent everyday discipline from being criminalised. The Scottish government is looking at possible changes to section 12 of the Children and

The Supreme Court has received an application for permission to appeal in the matter of Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Appellant) v Wightman and others (Respondents). The application has been referred to three Supreme Court Justices - Lady Hale (President), Lord Reed (Deputy Pres

Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November 2018), Frank Jarvis discusses an important legal case (A v SSHD [2016] CSIH 38), the full impact of which has still to be felt. This 2016 Court of Session case concerns the Immigration Rules, as they apply to s

Five Scottish solicitors, admitted by the Law Society Council as solicitor advocates with extended rights of audience, were introduced to the court at a ceremony yesterday. Following the ceremony, the new solicitor advocates will be allowed to exercise their extended rights of audience in the higher

Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM) has supported Northern Ireland firm Lotus Property in the acquisition of a 1.3 million sq ft portfolio in Scotland valued at £60m.

A new charter is encouraging employers to treat workers fairly and be mindful of their safety if they are unable to get to work during extreme weather. Following the 'beast from the east' snow storm earlier this year, the Fair Work Charter for Severe Weather provides guiding principles to help emplo

Graham Ogilvy is disappointed by Mike Leigh’s newly released epic Peterloo. Peterloo, the brutal massacre inflicted on a Manchester crowd demanding political reform in 1819, was a milestone in the lengthy and, some would say, continuing, struggle to establish democracy in Britain and one of th

A woman celebrated the conclusion of her divorce by blowing up her wedding dress in an explosion felt 15 miles away. Texas woman Kimberly Santleben-Stiteler, 43, gathered her friends for a "divorce party" after the legal end of her marriage, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

A contempt of court action against the chairman of Rangers Football Club over his alleged breach of a court order requiring him to make an offer for the remaining shares of Rangers International Football Club Plc will proceed after a judge rejected his challenge to the competency of the proceedings.

Two "innovative initiatives" involving the Faculty of Advocates and aimed at a more diverse and representative legal profession have been endorsed by Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf. Mr Yousaf was the keynote speaker at an event to celebrate the first anniversary of the Scottish Ethnic Minorities Law

A newly-released report, which reveals that the US considered using 'truth serum' in the CIA’s torture programme, raises fresh questions about British involvement in torture and rendition, according to human rights group Reprieve. The report, written by a CIA medical officer, was released on T

Alan McLean QC of Hastie Stable has qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The qualification process involves passing rigorous academic courses on arbitration law and practice (covering both Scottish and international arbitration), an examination involving the preparat

This week the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) handed down its judgment in the case of Levola Hengelo BV v Smilde Foods BV which asserted that the taste of food does not attract protection as a copyrighted work. Rebecca Henderson and Jennifer Dool examine the case. Background

Neale Tosh, an associate based in DWF's Glasgow office, has today been admitted by the Law Society of Scotland as a solicitor advocate at a ceremony at the Court of Session. The appointment will allow him to represent DWF's clients in that court as well as the Supreme Court and the Judicial Committe

Boutique international corporate law firm Rooney Nimmo has appointed Dawn Robertson as a partner. Ms Robertson, who will also sit on the board of directors in the firm's UK operations, has had experience at partner level for over a decade and has advised a wide range of commercial sta