Case Reports

Four part-time judges have succeeded against the Ministry of Justice in an appeal to the Supreme Court over their rights to a pension. The Supreme Court unanimously allows the appeals. Lord Carnwath gives the sole judgments, with which Lady Hale (President), Lord Reed (Deputy President) and Lord Wil

A Scots lawyer found guilty of “professional misconduct” who was ordered to pay the legal expenses of the proceedings on an “agent and client” scale has had a legal challenge against the decision dismissed. A judge in the Court of Session ruled that the application

A man who was jailed for two years after being found guilty of three instances of sexual assault libelled in a single “omnibus” charge has had his sentence reduced after appealing against his conviction. The appellant argued that only one of the three episodes was corroborated and that t

A long-term prisoner whose personal mail was confiscated after a sniffer dog detected drugs has had a legal action against the prison authorities dismissed. David Gilday claimed his human rights had been breached after prison officers seized a greeting card addressed to him, but a judge in the&

A motorist found to have caused death by dangerous after being deemed “unfit to stand trial” because he suffers from dementia has had an appeal against the finding that he committed the offence dismissed. The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary upheld the ruling by a t

A legal action by Glasgow City Council against bus operator First Glasgow to recover £860,000 in damages plus more than £40,000 in expenses paid to the family of one of the victims of the tragic bin lorry crash five years ago has been dismissed. The local authority cl

A hotel which donates a proportion of its revenue to a trust that manages a Scottish World Heritage Site has successfully challenged a decision to reject its application for charitable status. New Lanark Hotels Ltd, which donates income from its hotel accommodation and associated activities to the N

A young woman found guilty of culpable homicide after she “instigated” an attack which led to the murder of her ex-boyfriend has had an appeal against her sentence rejected. Tasmin Glass, 20, was sentenced to 10 years’ detention after she enlisted two co-accused Steven Dickie and C

A beggar who was sentenced to an Order for Lifelong Restriction after being convicted of rape has had an appeal against his life sentence refused. James Campbell, 32, who admitted raping a 57-year-old woman in Glasgow city centre in August 2018, argued that the sentencing judge should have imposed a

A doctor who sought information under freedom of information legislation from a Scottish council relating to the conduct of local elections has successfully appealed against the decision to refuse his request. The Inner House of the Court of Session allowed an appeal against a decision of

Courts can, in appropriate cases, devise a remedy to protect the good faith purchaser in a gratuitous alienation, the Supreme Court has concluded in a case that turned on the meaning of “adequate consideration” in the Insolvency Act 1986 and which has been remitted to the Inner House of

A Scots lawyer has partially succeeded in an appeal against a decision by the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) to refer two “time-barred” complaints against him to the Law Society of Scotland for investigation. Solicitor Calum MacGregor challenged the SLCC&

A man found guilty of rape and child sex offences who claimed that a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) made in advance of his release from prison was null and void because it failed to specify a period for which it would apply has had an appeal against his conviction for breaching the order di

A man serving a life sentence for murder who claimed that his human rights were breached after his “confidential” letters were opened by prison officers has had a £5,000 damages action dismissed. “Limbs in the Loch” murderer William Beggs raised a petition for

The leader of the Liberal Democrats has been granted interim interdict to prohibit a Scottish National Party rival from distributing an election leaflet which claimed she had “accepted a £14K donation from a fracking company”. Jo Swinson argued that the statement, which was contain