Opinion

Jason Chester looks at the latest evolution in branding: the motion mark. As more and more Scottish businesses strive to make an impression among the country’s constant wave of new, innovative and agile competitors, having a recognisable, standout brand continues to represent a significant dif

Duncan Milne, trainee solicitor at Blackadders, warns that employees secretly recording conversations in the workplace can be guilty of gross misconduct in some cases. Covert recordings are topical at the moment. Boris Johnson was recorded with his girlfriend Carrie Symonds in their home under unple

The law on civil partnerships, north and south of the border, is set to change, writes Jennifer Liddell. This year, in response to a Supreme Court ruling, Parliament passed the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019. Section 2 of that act requires the Secretary of State

Ben Wilson details Scotland's legislative efforts to tame its carbon emissions amid a growing sense of urgency over climate change. While good progress has been made on improving the Climate Change Bill, especially on the target to reach net-zero by 2045, more still needs to be done to fully enshrin

Anyone who has purchased property knows just how stressful an experience it can be. In one particular case however, it turned into a nightmare, not only for the purchaser, but for their solicitors and ultimately their solicitors’ insurers, writes Karen Stachura. In the English case of Dreamvar

A recent success in the All Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court in a slip and trip case where the pursuer failed to prove how her accident happened has raised two issues of perhaps more general application given the looming introduction of qualified one way cost shifting (QOCS), writes Eoin Quinn

ICO's second GDPR fine in as many days highlights the importance of due diligence in acquisitions, writes Val Surgenor. Hot on the heels of the proposed British Airways fine, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) this week issued notice of its intention to serve a penalty notice (a fine)

Accountant Iain Masterton outlines key changes to VAT rules, details why they’ve been introduced and reveals what building contractors must do to ensure they are compliant. Forthcoming legislation changes could have a major impact on any building contractor business which is registered for VAT

While the SNP would have been pleased with its strong performance in May’s European elections, the party’s campaign got off to an unfortunate start when thousands of personalised letters (part of a mailshot to more than 400,000 Scottish voters) were sent to the wrong people. It was widel

The Information Commissioner’s Office (the ICO) has issued notice of its intention to serve a penalty notice (a fine) on British Airways (BA). The ICO intends to fine BA £183.39 million following last year’s personal data breach where “a variety of information was compromised

The Roberton Review into the Regulation of Legal Services in Scotland commissioned by the Scottish government was published 10 months ago. The Competition and Markets Authority and the Scottish government have now responded. This latest document identifies the drivers of reform as proportionality, c

The flexibility of the British constitution, once thought to be such a strength, has played a large part in destroying the country. In this edited version of a recent lecture delivered in Cambridge, Professor Conor Gearty (LSE) explains why he now believes more than ever that only the experience of

The Supreme Court has allowed the appeal in the case of Tillman v Egon Zehnder Ltd, in what may be welcome news to employers, writes Jennifer Skeoch. Egon Zehnder (EZ), a professional services firm, specialises in executive search and recruitment. Ms Tillman was employed by them until January 2017.

Victoria Kerr examines why businesses should consider enhanced shared parental pay. It has been reported that as one of her last moves before leaving Downing Street, Theresa May will attempt to introduce 12 weeks' paid paternity leave for new fathers. Separately, the English Court of Appeal rec

Andrea Martin comments on social media regulation in the wake of a harrowing case in Ireland which saw two 14-year-old boys become the youngest convicted murderers in the history of the country after being found guilty of the murder of 14-year-old Ana Kriegel. The dramatic injunction against Faceboo