There has been a 10 per cent increase in homicides, new figures from the chief statistician show. In 2023-24, 57 victims of homicide were recorded, 10 per cent, or five victims, more than the 52 victims recorded in 2022-23.
Appointments
See all articlesMacnabs, which has offices in Perthshire, Tayside and Stirlingshire, has announced recent appointments to its civil court team. Led by Jane McNicol, the team earlier this year welcomed the return of Lauren Alexander-Smith, a solicitor who trained with the firm. She has 20 years of industry experienc
Caroline Maciver has joined CMS as partner in its Edinburgh office. Ms Maciver, who joins the firm from Burness Paull, has 20 years’ experience leading on large, complex disputes in the private and public sectors. Her practice includes advising main contractors, developers and housebuilders on
Burness Paull has promoted two members of its corporate tax and share incentives team. Christine Yuill is elevated to head of tax with responsibility for leading the development of the firm’s corporate tax offering.
Oakwood Scotland Solicitors has announced the appointment of Alastair Cameron as its new director. With over 26 years of experience in the legal profession, he brings a wealth of expertise in civil litigation, personal injury law, and high-profile cases.
Kennedys, which has offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh, has appointed Meg Catalano as the firm’s global managing partner. Ms Catalano is currently the regional managing partner for the US and a member of the firm’s five-strong executive group, which is responsible for setting and imp
Bryden Crearie has joined Inksters Solicitors as a consultant in its Glasgow office. Mr Crearie has over 35 years’ experience as a solicitor. He was a partner in A&S Ireland, who merged with Aberdein Considine in 2016. Mr Crearie was then a partner and, latterly, a consultant with Aberdein
Legal Aid
See all articlesCriminal 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
The number of criminal legal aid solicitors dropped from 1,459 in 2007 to 966, the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association (SSBA) has said as it warned the system was heading for collapse. The Scottish government's public spend on legal aid has declined by 45 per cent, allowing for inflation, over the p
The Scottish government’s 2024-25 budget continues its distorted and shortsighted approach to criminal justice, according to the Law Society of Scotland. The budget papers reveal an extra £22 million has been provided to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), while the f
Universities
See all articlesDr Gavin Sullivan, reader in international human rights law at Edinburgh Law School, has been awarded almost £600,000 by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for his academic project. The UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship scheme seeks to develop the next wave of world-class research and innovation l
Students in the Emma Ritch Law Clinic at the University of Glasgow School of Law have been working on a Supreme Court case which raises awareness of complainers’ rights and fair trial rights in sexual violence cases. The clinic was instructed by Rape Crisis Scotland who appeared as a third par
The tenth edition of the Dundee Student Law Review has been published. Volume X commemorates the tenth anniversary of the journal and opens with a preface and acknowledgements by the project’s chair, Tom Edwards. It features the winning article of the 2023 Jonathan Leslie Memorial Essay Prize
Strathclyde Law School is to welcome Lord Reed to the Technology and Innovation Centre on Monday 28 October to deliver a lecture to mark the 15th anniversary of the Supreme Court. Registrations for the lecture, entitled “Why does the UK Supreme Court matter for Scotland?”, have now ended
British courts' approach to eyewitness evidence is flawed, researchers at Aberdeen University have claimed. A team of researchers led by Dr Travis Seale-Carlisle collated expert opinion gathered from scientists from all over the world on a variety of eyewitness memory phenomena. They found an "almos
And Finally
See all articlesOne of the world's largest banks is suing customers who believed they had discovered an "infinite money glitch". Thousands of people may have taken advantage of the so-called glitch, which was actually a form of cheque fraud which briefly became a viral sensation on TikTok and other social media pla
A woman is suing an airline because the ice cream sandwich it served her was “dangerously cold”. In a lawsuit seen by The Independent, New Jersey woman Karla Quinonez claims that JetBlue was negligent for “serving food at a temperature below what is reasonable or safe for consumpti
A motorist has been fined after being caught driving in a dedicated carpool lane with a plastic skeleton in the passenger seat. The Halloween decoration, spooky enough in itself, was also wearing a mask resembling that of Ghostface in the Scream horror film series.
A pizzeria owner has been arrested after it emerged the best-selling item on his menu came with a side of cocaine. Customers who ordered "pizza No. 40" from the unnamed pizzeria in Düsseldorf received both pizza and drugs at their door, DW reports.
Elon Musk is being sued by the production company behind Blade Runner 2049 for allegedly using the film to promote his new "Cybercab". Alcon Entertainment alleges that it turned down a formal request from an event organiser for the use of a still image from the 2017 film, but a virtually identical A