Opinion

Ahsan Mustafa discusses the key reforms to Scottish charity accounts regulations, including modernised accounting thresholds, new safety dispensations for security risks, and alignment with UK reporting standards. The Scottish government has introduced a major reform of charity accounting rules thro

John Sturrock KC scrutinises the eye-watering bill for Scottish public inquiries. The “bill for public inquiries is now running at more than £230 million”. Are costs “out of control"?

Gillian Mawdsley reflects on Armistice Day yesterday.

Laura Simpson and Christine McKellar of Govan Law Centre raise the alarm over proposed changes to legal aid for adults with incapacity in Scotland. It is no secret that Scotland’s legal aid system is in urgent need of reform. With the increase in legal aid deserts caused by an ever-diminishing

Dr Corsino San Miguel delves into a landmark court ruling on generative AI and copyright law. The Getty Images v Stability AI judgment, handed down on 4 November 2025, will be remembered not for what it decided, but for what it exposed. It marked the first full test of how the Copyright, Design

Michael Ross, director in Anderson Strathern's risk and compliance team, stresses the importance of lawyers' engagement in the UK's new Anti-Money Laundering consultation. The UK Government has confirmed sweeping reforms to how Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) superv

Andrew Stevenson strikes a note of caution over Parliament issuing pardons or quashing convictions. Mention has been made before in this column of the general need to preserve the separation of powers between the courts and the executive. This constitutional safeguard is there to protect the li

Upcoming amendments to the UK’s immigration rules will introduce a number of significant changes affecting graduates and those applying for certain work visas, including raising English language requirements for foreign workers and reducing the period for international students to stay after g

Dr Mary Neal warns of yet another attempt to introduce authoritarian measures in Scotland. With Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill currently at stage two in Holyrood, Patrick Harvie MSP has tabled an amendment – amendment 127 – to create s

The number of significant cyber attacks doubled in the last year despite the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) receiving the same number of calls for support – which highlights the need for greater vigilance in implementing security, write Simon Colvin and Stuart Davey. But the headline-gr

I recently found myself in the company of a remarkably sensible chap who was singing the praises of his chosen subject: artificial intelligence. Without question, this would change the world forever, he assured me, and we would all be much better off as a result. We were living in a new age. Medical

Paul Motion considers whether motions for dawn raid orders should always be video recorded. Of all orders the Scottish civil courts are empowered to make, arguably the most intrusive, invasive and distressing are orders under Section 1 of the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1972. These orde

Rachel Hayes, Leo Moore and Aoife Keenan – of Irish law firm William Fry – explain the key features of the EU's Digital Identity Wallet. The Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, which establishes the European Digital Identity Framework (EUDI Regulation), came into force in May 2024 and will take l

Thomas Ross KC examines the collapse of the Bayoh inquiry. The resignation of Lord Bracadale from his position as chair of the Sheku Bayoh inquiry after 122 days of evidence – followed by the mass resignation of all the counsel to the inquiry three days later – no doubt led the public to

Ross McDowall urges Scottish businesses to familiarise themselves with new environmental rules ahead of a looming deadline. Businesses that currently hold environmental consents for water, waste and industrial activities in Scotland should check if they will need new or amended environmental authori