An appeal by a legal practitioner who claimed that the Crown was liable in delict for alleged civil wrongs committed by a former sheriff has been unanimously dismissed by justices in the Supreme Court on the basis it was bound to fail at the first stage of the vicarious liability enquiry. Lord Reed
Appointments
See all articlesDrummond Miller has announced a series of promotions across the firm, celebrating the "outstanding contributions and dedication" of its legal team. The promotees are:
Inksters Solicitors is now offering construction law advice to clients as Peter McLean-Buechel joins the firm as a consultant solicitor in its Glasgow office. Mr McLean-Buechel brings four decades of experience in construction law to Inksters. He is qualified as a solicitor in Scotland and England &
A rural law specialist has joined Blackadders LLP as a senior solicitor. Kirsty Irvine has joined the firm in Aberdeen and will specialise in all aspects of rural legal matters. Her role will include the purchase and sale of farms, security work, clean energy matters, partnership advice and successi
Brodies LLP has appointed new partner Bill Barton and will be opening an office in Leeds to support the growth of its construction practice. Mr Barton has specialised in contentious and non-contentious construction law for over 30 years. With experience across a broad range of sectors, including ind
Blackadders LLP has announced a raft of promotions in its Glasgow office. Taylor Henry has been promoted from senior solicitor to associate in the private client team and both Ethan Laing in the commercial real estate team and Natasha Connelly in residential property have been promoted from solicito
Macdonald Henderson has announced the appointment of Douglas Telfer as director to lead the firm’s residential conveyancing team, based from the firm's office in the west end of Glasgow, formerly Ferguson Whyte. The appointment follows Macdonald Henderson's acquisition of Ferguson Whyte in Oct
Universities
See all articlesDr Eddy Wifa and Dr Mitchell Lennan have both been appointed as co-directors of the Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law (AUCEL). Dr Wifa is a senior lecturer (energy law) at the School of Law, which he joined in 2020 following the completion of his PhD in Marine Renewable Energy Health a
The Aberdeen Law Project (ALP) has obtained a four-figure settlement for a client over faulty roof repairs. Prior to ALP’s engagement in the matter, the client’s roof had been damaged and encroached upon by works commissioned by a third-party. Lead adviser Robert Johnson and the team at
Lady Dorrian is to be awarded an honorary degree by the University of St Andrews at the university's winter graduation tomorrow. The Class of 2025 students will celebrate gaining both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, with graduands from 81 countries including Namibia, the Netherlands, Ne
The last revolution in legal education was not digital but electrical. For a time, the lecture halls of Edinburgh and Glasgow stood half-in, half-out of the new century: stone stairwells lit by bare bulbs, while seminar rooms still relied on the yellow comfort of gaslight. No one doubted that electr
Legal academics were among the recipients of Royal Society of Edinburgh medals awarded at a ceremony held this week.
Legal Aid
See all articlesThe Scottish government is pausing it’s proposed changes to legal aid for adults with legal incapacity (AWI) cases, following an intervention by Govan Law Centre. Last month, GLC wrote to the Holyrood's Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee to recommend rejection of a draft Scottish statut
The Law Society of Scotland has warned that proposed changes to legal aid fees for cases related to adults with incapacity (AWI) would further exacerbate the shortage of solicitors for such work. The warning is contained in a submission by the Law Society on potential changes to legal aid regulation
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
Tony Lenehan KC remains the top earner of legal aid fees, new figures from the Scottish Legal Aid Board detailing gross earnings show. In 2024-25, Mr Lenehan’s fees were £490,000, an increase of £40,000, or nine per cent, on the previous year. Donald Findlay KC rose from third to s
MSPs on Holyrood’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee have voiced their alarm at the extent of “legal aid deserts” in Scotland. The committee has been exploring civil legal assistance, commonly known as legal aid, in response to concerns raised about access to jus
And Finally
See all articlesHundred of motorists have lost their driving licenses after being caught drunk cycling. Police in Japan suspended a total of 896 cyclists' driving licenses between January and September 2025 after deeming them "also likely to pose a significant danger when driving a car".
The Taliban has rebuked four Afghan men who dressed up like characters in the British TV series Peaky Blinders for failing to live up to "Afghan and Islamic values". In videos posted to YouTube with captions like "Shelby mode", the friends smoke cigarettes while wearing flat caps, suits and long coa
American diplomats have been ordered to use Times New Roman in paperwork as Calibri falls victim to Trump's war on wokeness. A diktat circulated by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, this week ordered a "return to tradition" by all US diplomatic posts.
Prison guards have confiscated a feast of steak and crab legs smuggled behind bars as an apparent Christmas treat. The gift package, which also included cigarettes, rolling tobacco and cannabis, was dropped by drone into a prison in South Carolina.
The FBI has issued a public alert over scammers using AI-generated images to fake kidnappings and extort victims for money. Publicly-available social media pictures provide enough source material for criminals to create "fake proof of life photos in virtual kidnapping for ransom scams", the law enfo










