Amnesty International has called for a full review of how due diligence is conducted on arms companies in receipt of grants from Scottish Enterprise. In a letter to the Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Amnesty warned that current human rights due diligence procedures at Scottish Enterprise may not
Appointments
See all articlesJones Whyte has announced a series of promotions.
Pinsent Masons has appointed Gillian Frew as head of office for its 215-strong Edinburgh operation following the retirement of Ewan Alexander after 35 years with the firm. A specialist in the structured & project finance team, Ms Frew joined Pinsent Masons in 2001 after graduating in law from th
Edinburgh-based private client and conveyancing firm Connell & Connell has appointed Jill Andrew and Irene Turner as partners in the conveyancing team. Ms Andrew brings almost 30 years of experience in conveyancing law and considerable expertise, particularly in high net worth transactions, havi
Glasgow-based Clark Boyle has appointed Lisa McCall as head of the firm's residential property conveyancing team. A graduate of the University of Strathclyde, Ms McCall brings over 10 years' experience in property law to the firm.
Burness Paull has appointed commercial litigator Douglas Blyth as a partner in its dispute resolution team. Mr Blyth brings a broad range of sector experience and particular expertise in the areas of insolvency, corporate and shareholder disputes, public procurement and judicial review. He is recogn
Ledingham Chalmers has announced senior leadership changes as it celebrates record turnover of £14.3 million, its highest since becoming an LLP in 2006. The Aberdeen-headquartered law firm broke its turnover record for a third consecutive year, with a seven per cent year-on-year increase from
Legal Aid
See all articlesScotland's legal aid crisis looks like it could be "unsolvable" as more than a third of legal aid lawyers are set to retire in the next decade. There are currently 911 solicitors registered for legal aid – down from 1,084 in 2020, a drop of 16 per cent.
Tony Lenehan KC remains the top earner of legal aid fees, new figures from the Scottish Legal Aid Board show. In 2023-24, Mr Lenehan's fees were £450,000, an increase of £50,000 on the previous year.
Criminal lawyers south of the border are to withdraw from legal aid work over a pay dispute with ministers. The Law Society is to advise its members to consider withdrawing from legal aid work or scaling it back until the UK government provides a "meaningful response" to lawyers' demands.
Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk is being taken to the High Court by lawyers who say legal aid fees are so low they cannot provide representation to thousands of people. The case revolves around access to legal aid for immigration and asylum lawyers and is being brought by Duncan Lewis solicitors.
The Law Society of Scotland is to withdraw from discussions on the creation of a review mechanism for legal aid fees, stating it had "lost confidence" in the Scottish government project following a lack of progress in two years. The Legal Aid Remuneration Project and Research Analysis Group were set
Universities
See all articlesA University of Dundee academic is calling for ‘less talk and more action’ from COP29. Dr Nandan Mukherjee, of the University’s UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, wants to see real action taking place this year through tangible initiatives such as climate resilient ho
Dundee Law School has established a new partnership with The College of Legal Practice for students taking the English LLB. The college will offer the university’s law students an opportunity to take their courses to prepare for the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE).
Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness of Strome, is making a return to the University of Dundee to deliver this year’s Margaret Harris Lecture on Friday 29 November. From 2003 to 2018, Professor Lady Black served as Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at the University of Dundee, where
As Pro Bono Week begins, shining the spotlight on the role of voluntary legal work is of utmost importance, writes Lauren Weetman. The pro bono effort of solicitors has a profound impact on both those seeking access to legal advice and the broader legal community alike. Efforts that shine particular
Edinburgh Law School's Professor Stephen Neff is to deliver a lecture entitled The Art(s) of Moral Globalisation next month. Professor Neff is a graduate of Harvard University (in sociology) and of the University of Virginia School of Law. His primary research interest is the history of public
And Finally
See all articlesPolice have seized tarot cards and crystal balls after arresting a group of "psychics" alleged to be fraudsters. Three arrests have now been made in Sydney, Australia following an investigation into what is alleged to be a crime syndicate using their supposed psychic abilities for cover, ABC News re
Police in Thailand were forced to barricade themselves into their station as their town came under attack from around 200 escaped monkeys. Special enclosures in Lopburi – around 100 miles north-east of Bangkok – are used to manage the local monkey population.
A man was caught allegedly trying to smuggle hundreds of tarantulas onto a plane. The 28-year-old suspect, who has not been named, was arrested at an airport in Peru after security officials noticed an unusual bulge around his stomach.
Infowars, the far-right media outlet built by disgraced conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, has been acquired by satirical news website The Onion. Jones – once close to Donald Trump – declared bankruptcy after he was ordered to pay $1.5 billion to families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook E
Ukraine has failed in a bid to register "Russian warship, go f*ck yourself" as an EU trademark. The infamous phrase was said by a Ukrainian border guard in response to a Russian demand for surrender in the early hours of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.