Opinion

A recent decision in the Sheriff Appeal Court (Appeal by Smaira Bilal Saleem in the cause Euro Parks Limited v Smaira Bilal Saleem), highlights important considerations regarding judicial expenses, writes Frances Lombardi. This case serves as a reminder of how the court evaluates the actions of both

Aldi, known for making products that are “like brands, only cheaper”, has been held to infringe Thatchers' trademark in respect of its lookalike cloudy lemon cider product, writes Geoff Steward. Last week, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales found in favour of Thatchers, who had bro

Jude Copeland examines a ruling on procedural issues in the UK's first major copyright battle over generative AI technology. On 14 January 2025, Mrs Justice Joanna Smith DBE delivered a reserved judgment in Getty Images (US) Inc and Ors v Stability AI Ltd [2025] EWHC 38 (Ch), offering a glimpse into

The start of a new year usually involves making predictions about what the coming year may bring. So what might the Scottish litigation landscape look like over the coming 12 months? Nicola Ross lays out her predictions. There are several high profile judicial review cases currently before the Scott

Today's Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Its theme is “For a Better Future”, in support of which it has been requested that people raise awareness of those murdered. This article focuses on raising

A very important lesson for those embroiled in disputes – and for their lawyers, too – popped up last week in the postscript of Lord Cubie's judgment in Hafthorsdotir v Eyvindsson, writes Bobby Murray. In short (and at the risk of some slight oversimplification), a husband had litigated

Dr Morag Kerr, secretary-depute of Justice for Megrahi, replies to Ronnie Clancy KC's recent articles on Lockerbie and argues that despite the slur of 'conspiracy theorist' used by the UK and Scottish governments, the Crown Office, the SSCRC and the Americans, Mr Megrahi still suffered a miscarriage

Bankability is key in the world of infrastructure and energy investment, as it indicates whether or not a risk is acceptable to third party lenders who are generally considered to be cautious by nature, writes Gillian Frew. But the growing complexity caused by energy transition technologies and regu

Darren Murdoch, president of the Scottish Law Agents Society, details the worrying results of a survey. The interim results of the Scottish Law Agents Society (SLAS) survey on regulation of the legal profession highlight a deeply concerning overwhelming dissatisfaction with the current regulatory sy

Federica Fazio asks the unthinkable question: what happens if Donald Trump invades Greenland? Ever since Donald Trump announced his bid for the 2024 presidential election, NATO allies have been looking for ways to “Trump-proof” the alliance. During his first term, Trump had in fact frequ

In the final part of his series on Big Book, David J Black finds yet more revelations between the lines. See part three here. Let us park Ms Rooney in a lay-by for the moment, and focus on the man in the shadows. A dyed-in-the-wool Republican, one time Rubio-supporting Trump sceptic Paul Elliott Sin

Donnie Munro discusses the current M&A market in Scotland, which is experiencing high activity due to anticipated tax changes, and highlights the rising trend of vendor initiated management buyouts (VIMBOs) as an attractive exit strategy for business owners. The corporate mergers and acquisition

The Stuart Hogg case highlights the use of an offence which came into force in 2019, writes Douglas McConnell. The recent domestic criminal case involving former Scotland rugby player Stuart Hogg has attracted significant attention to the relatively new offence outlined in the Domestic Abuse (Scotla

David J Black finds that money and sanctimony make for a heady cocktail as the plot of his bookish inquiry thickens. See part two here. Sally Rooney really should know that Waterstones’ US parent, private equity fund Elliott Advisors, is part of corporate giant Elliott Investment Manageme

As we enter a new year, there has been a key update in the implementation of the Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Act 2023 (MT(S)A). Scottish ministers have passed regulations which will bring the remaining provisions of the MT(S)A into force on 1 April 2025, writes Samir Younes. The MT(S)A will sig