As stage one of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill concludes at Holyrood, legal experts – Dr Mary Neal (Strathclyde), Dr Murray Earle (Edinburgh) and Dr Michael Foran (Glasgow) – raise concerns about the bill’s legislative competence, arguing that the bil
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Appointments
See all articlesMitchells Roberton has elected Ronald Inglis, 52 to be its new chairman. He replaces his sister, Morag Inglis, who has been chairman since 2021 and was managing partner for 24 years before that. Mr Inglis, a property law specialist who has been with Mitchells Roberton for 30 years and was made a par
Macleod & MacCallum has announced a series of promotions. The firm has appointed Aidan Grant and Laura McCarthy as senior associates and Elizabeth Wilson and Gemma Johnston to the position of associate.
Burness Paull has promoted five of its lawyers to partner. The newly appointed partners are Rachel MacArthur, Daniela Pallucci, Colin Smith (all corporate finance), Nick Warrillow (dispute resolution), and Gemma Young (banking).
CMS has announced that Duncan Turner, a partner in the firm’s technology and media team, has been appointed as its new Edinburgh office managing partner. He takes over from Darren Craig, who held the role for the past decade. Mr Turner specialises in information technology, intellectual proper
Lindsays has appointed corporate lawyer Sharon Somerville as a senior associate. Ms Somerville is now based full-time in the firm's Dundee city centre office. She advises on a broad range of corporate and commercial work, including acquisitions and disposals, reorganisations, contracts and intellect
Justin Borg-Barthet has been appointed as the head of the School of Law at Aberdeen University. Greg Gordon’s term as head of school concludes on 31 July and Professor Borg-Barthet will take up the position from 1 August.
Legal Aid
See all articlesFamily members involved in deaths in custody fatal accident inquiries (FAI) are to have immediate, free access to legal aid support and advice. Justice Secretary Angela Constance confirmed that she is using existing ministerial powers to remove means-testing for legal aid in such cases, so that from
Defence solicitors are to boycott the Scottish government’s new Summary Case Management scheme in protest over legal aid fees. In the face of the Scottish government’s continued refusal to engage in meaningful talks with the profession, the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association (SSBA) "has
Holyrood’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee has today launched a new call for views into civil legal assistance, covering civil legal aid and advice and assistance for civil issues, and grant funding for advice organisations. The call for views is part of a new inquiry whic
Lawyers have threatened to boycott the Scottish government's new swifter justice scheme unless legal aid fees are increased. Members of the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association (SSBA) will not take part in summary cases heard as part of the new Summary Case Management (SCM) initiative.
Reforms to legal aid have been set out to make the system simpler and easier for both solicitors and those who need legal assistance – along with longer-term proposals for funding and improving the delivery of services. Actions set out in a discussion paper aim to simplify the funding system a
Universities
See all articlesProfessor Abbe Brown is among the new fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) recognised as outstanding individuals whose contributions are shaping society in Scotland and beyond. The professor of intellectual property law at the University of Aberdeen is among the 2025 cohort celebrating le
Protestors charged with non-violent offences should be able to explain their motives in court as part of their legal defence, new research argues. A new study from the University of Birmingham, Aston University and Keele University has argued that trials should "respect the integrity of publicly acc
Aberdeen University's Main Faculty Moot Final will be held on Wednesday. The event promises an evening of intellectual engagement and networking opportunities, featuring judges Sheila Webster, Andrew Webster KC and Frank Fowlie.
Edinburgh Law School and Brodies LLP are hosting the Charles Smith Memorial Lecture later this month, which this year takes the form of a discussion panel to mark the 30th anniversary of the Brodies Environmental Law lecture series. The UK has set ambitious legal targets to reach net zero by mid-cen
The Aberdeen Law Project (ALP) has successfully obtained a four-figure sum for a client through a simple procedure application to the Sheriff Court. Prior to ALP’s engagement in the matter, the client had paid a deposit for solar panels that the company failed to install. The client had attemp
And Finally
See all articlesAn international flight was forced to turn back around two hours into its journey after the pilot realised he had forgotten his passport. The United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai – with 257 passengers and 13 crew members onboard – was redirected to San Francisco after the
A serious contender in Poland's presidential election previously praised himself on TV while wearing a disguise, it has emerged. Karol Nawrocki, the candidate from Poland's right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, is currently polling in second place ahead of this year's election.
A thief caught stealing hundreds of Cadbury Creme Eggs has been banned from Cambridgeshire. Deon De Groot, 26, must stay out of the county for three months after being found guilty of taking over £200 worth of the chocolate snack from a supermarket.
An antiques expert tricked the Palace of Versailles into buying fake 18th century royal chairs, a court has heard. Pontoise Criminal Court, near Paris, was told that Bill Pallot, 61, convinced the palace to pay €840,000 for two chairs that its experts thought had belonged to the Comtesse du Bar
A house listed on Rightmove has sparked intrigue with its unusual interior featuring a living room entirely adorned with beer cans.