Opinion

The first refusal of group proceedings in Scotland sheds light on how courts will assess commonality, efficiency and group size in future applications, write Julie Hamilton and Josh Chambers. Group proceedings were introduced in Scotland in 2018 to allow similar civil claims to be brought together a

Don Macleod critiques the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. Lawyers choose their words carefully, and my title is no exception. Nor is the reason I consider the bill to be junk, and that reason is because the proposed law around large land holdings (so called) is an appalling mess that deserves no place

Nicole McQuilken reflects on the work of the All-Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. 2015 seems like a long time ago. David Cameron was prime minister, the UK remained in the European Union, and artificial intelligence seemed like something from science fict

One of the tensions which arises in any legal system is balancing the competing principles of offering a right to appeal with the necessity of judgments to be final, in order to provide certainty. In the recent Sheriff Appeal Court decision of Downie v NHS Fife, this issue was considered against a s

Ronnie Clancy KC continues to analyse the politico-legal fallout of a spy prosecution that went awry. See part one here. In round two of their public relations bout with the director of public prosecutions (DPP) the UK government (HMG) has come out swinging. It has published the three witness statem

The Scottish government declared a housing emergency in May 2024, acknowledging that Scotland lacked sufficient housing supply to meet demand. This was partly self-inflicted, with the government cutting its affordable housing building supply programme and imposing rent controls without exemption, wh

In 2020, PPE Medpro entered into a lucrative contract with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to supply 25 million sterile surgical gowns and other personal protective equipment. The company gained widespread recognition for its association with Michelle Mone and her husband, write Pame

When making orders in terms of s.11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 the court requires to give children the opportunity to express their views and to take those views into account. In the recently published decision of PSC v NS Lady Tait considers how to do so where the strongly expressed views

Ronnie Clancy KC analyses the collapse of a prosecution in England brought against two men accused of spying for China. The recently abandoned case against two individuals who were due to stand trial on charges of spying for China is by no means the first prosecution to hit the buffers because of na

A third of Scotland's school roll has parents who live separately. Some, by agreement or by court order, share the parenting of the children on an equal, 50:50 basis. For others, the children will reside exclusively with one parent and may have little or no contact with the other. The likelihood is

With a projected £50 billion shortfall in public finances and a pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT, speculation is mounting that Chancellor Rachel Reeves may turn again to Inheritance Tax (IHT) reform when she makes her autumn budget statement on 26 November, writes Emma

Kate Bradbury reflects on the Scots family law bible as it turns 40. Built to last… and that it was. 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985. To this day, it remains the legislative bible for Scottish family law practitioners advising clients on separation and di

With the UK government’s consultation on mandating major companies and financial services firms to develop and implement climate transition plans now closed, the spotlight is turning not just on corporate strategy, but on their legal responsibilities. By 2023, more than 70 per cent of FTSE 100

The Scottish legal market stands at a crossroads. Earlier this year, the Scottish Parliament passed the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025, a landmark piece of legislation that promised to reshape the profession. Most significantly, it repealed section 49 of the Legal Services (Scotlan

The English legal press had their knives out for the Law Society of Scotland this past week. This was on the back of its announcement of a deferral of at least a further two years (to add to the existing 15 years since the introduction of the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010) in bringing about alt