Features

The role of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in the Horizon scandal must be investigated, writes a concerned solicitor. The recent ITV drama on the Horizon scandal has shocked the nation. This has been an issue that has troubled me since listening to Nick Wallis’ excellen

David J Black recalls a bygone era in Demarco’s Edinburgh.

Stuart Munro, who acted for Susan Sinclair, the first subpostmaster in Scotland whose conviction was overturned on appeal, writes on the scandal that has caught the public's attention. The broadcast of a major new drama on ITV, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, has brought the Post Office Horizon scandal

Retired solicitor advocate David Brookens recalls seeing someone take the law into their own hands in his early days in court. Yesterday's edition of The Times carried a story that really struck a chord with me: a story about a judge in Florida being attacked by a dissatisfied accused. My very first

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced proposals to ensure that consumer credit scores will now better reflect individuals’ financial situations, writes Venetia Jackson. The proposals set out a range of measures aiming to improve the information collected by credit reference

Irish legal academic Professor Laurent Pech considers the future of the rule of law in the EU. The history of the rule of law in EU law has been one of gradual process of formal Treaty enshrinement followed by the swift development of the EU’s “rule of law toolbox” in response to u

Professor Joseph Bristow’s impressive new study, which deserves close attention, shows that the civil libel suit and the criminal trials involving Oscar Wilde were understood to be within the legal procedures of the time. The significantly wider importance of his book may be that the detailed

I try to avoid criticism of political figures on social media – but like most people I can be provoked beyond endurance. Last week First Minister Humza Yousaf attended an event at the University of Strathclyde at which the consultation on a Scottish Human Rights Bill was discussed. I am very h

Douglas Thomson reviews a new book by Ian O'Donnell, professor of criminology at University College Dublin, examining four very different prison regimes. In this book, Professor Ian O'Donnell visits and investigates four very different prison environments, all considerably unlike those within the ma

Plug and Play. It’s a catchy little phrase when it comes to running a law firm, but Brian Inkster isn’t overly concerned with preserving tradition and the approach he has developed over the past 25 years has seen Inksters Solicitors grow from a practice primarily specialising in crofting

Should we be seeking to remove a significant number of disputes from the courts altogether, asks John Sturrock. Recently in these pages, I mentioned a talk I’d given to a Worldwide Advocacy Conference in July 1998. Then, I’d identified two related developments with implications for civil

Robert Shiels welcomes an important new study on the Glasgow Sugar Aristocracy, the Clydeside merchants who made fortunes from Caribbean misery. The nature and extent of the economic impact of Caribbean slavery in British society is a highly topical and political issue. There is no doubt that many m

Fragomen solicitor Kelly Hardman explains the roll-out of a new scheme which helps to digitalise the UK’s border is already under way – and energy sector companies which deploy workers from overseas need to pay heed to its implications. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) initiativ

Scotland should recall recent history before approving a law that would make dictators blush, writes Andrew Stevenson. Last month the Scottish Law Agents’ Society gave evidence to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament. We opposed the proposal to al

Former sheriff Douglas J Cusine is impressed by Gillian Mawdsley's new study of sudden deaths and FAIs in Scotland. For me, there are two very significant sentences in this impressive book: “The public should be able to understand the role of an FAI…” (para. 2.01) and “It is