James Campbell looks at the history of our venerable Parliament House. He is also keen to hear from readers as part of his research, as detailed below. Edinburgh’s High Street, or the Royal Mile as it increasingly came to be known during the 20th century, is a thoroughfare festooned with sites
Appointments
See all articlesDallas McMillan has announced a number of promotions and new appointments. Ryan Macready has been promoted to partner and Chloe Neil to associate in the firm’s personal injury team.
Lindsays has started the New Year by recruiting two new partners. Commercial property lawyer Stephanie Nichol and private client lawyer Rob McNab both began work this week - taking the number of partners in the firm to 56.
DWF has appointed Gary Georgeson as a director in its real estate team in Edinburgh, marking another step in its continued investment and growth across Scotland. Mr Georgeson brings 20 years' experience in the commercial property sector, advising on all aspects of real estate matters with a particul
Sharon Clelland has been appointed as a traffic commissioner for Great Britain. Ms Clelland, who starts the role on 6 April 2026, joins from her role as head of legal services for the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, the independent body providing regulatory oversight of policing in Sc
Simpson & Marwick has announced a series of appointments designed to support the firm’s next phase of growth. Ricky Nicol will move into the role of non-executive chairman, bringing experience in leadership and technology. Meanwhile, Scott Fraser has been appointed as board adviser.
MFMac has announced the appointment of Shaz Khalid as a partner within its corporate & commercial division. Mr Khalid brings over 15 years of experience advising on high-value and complex projects across the energy and renewables sector. His most recent role was head of legal for SSE Renewables&
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 articlesNew technology has been deployed to help enforce a Chinese smoking ban by taking away the privacy of toilet users when smoke is detected. Two shopping centres in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen have installed new glass toilet cubicle doors, which are designed to turn from opaque to transparent
Legislators have been left red-faced after approving a law which included references to fake minerals named after lawyers. North Dakota's new law on mining critical minerals mentions "friezium" and "stralium", apparently references to Christopher Friez and David Straley, lawyers for North American C
A homeowner is at his wits’ end after spending months trying to get a 550-pound bear removed from beneath his house. Kenneth Johnson, who lives in Altadena, California, claims the animal has been living in his crawlspace since November and that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (C
Ghana has asked self-proclaimed prophets to submit their prophecies for government review. An online portal has been established by Ghana's presidential envoy for inter-faith and ecumenical relations to review "sensitive prophecies", The Economist reports.
McDonald's is facing a class action lawsuit in the United States over the alleged absence of rib meat from its popular McRib. A complaint filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in late December accuses the global fast food chain of deliberately misleading customers,&nbs










