Features

A Highland law firm has uncovered ties to a historic court case that prompted major changes in Scots law. Charles Innes, founding partner of Innes & Mackay, secured a verdict of 'not guilty' in the first documented legal victory for Highland crofters – representing three men for their part

Dear Editor, My local newspaper, The Courier and Advertiser, has reported this week of a case at the High Court in Dundee in which a young woman admitted stabbing her partner during a struggle with a kitchen knife and causing his death.

Neil Kelly examines a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that a collateral warranty isn not considered a construction contract eligible for quick resolution under the Housing Grants (Construction & Regeneration) Act 1996. In a very significant decision for the construction sector issued,

Graham Ogilvy tells the story of the remarkable Scottish advocate who became a reforming lord chancellor, developed the French Riveira and narrowly avoided a damaging sex scandal. The next time you are promenading along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, spare a thought for Henry Peter Brougham, the

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 26 June. Sustainable production and consumption are essential for net zero and the bill aims to support an economy which minimises waste and emissions through supporting re-use, refurbishment, maintenance and recycling. Ac

CEO of Scottish property portal ESPC, Paul Hilton, shares his thoughts on how the new UK government could help to bring about much-needed change in Scotland’s housing. While housing is a devolved matter, ESPC hopes that the promises made by Labour in the recent general election might help to b

The Scottish government is seeking to address some of the overly restrictive aspects of the short-term let licensing rules, but the measures may not be enough to tackle “unnecessary” regulation and financial burdens faced by the Scottish tourism industry, writes Kirsty Gallacher. In

On 18 September 1961, a plane transporting Dag Hammarskjöld, then the secretary-general of the United Nations, flew across the Congo on a long route to avoid a vast area that had seceded from the main part of the country. The fatal flight ended at Ndola in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasala

When it came to finding career inspiration, Scottish Solicitors Bar Association (SSBA) president Simon Brown didn’t have to look much further than his own front room. Though, when he was a child growing up in Irvine, his mum Louise was a teacher and dad Matthew an engineer, by the time Brown w

Earlier this week, Buckinghamshire-based businessman Aasim Johar was jailed for seven years for his role in a £3.3m cleaning products fraud at the University of Edinburgh which ran from 2005 until 2015. Johar had been acting together with Geoff Turnbull who, at the time of the offence, was the

How do you present a biography of a person in a different age who travelled the world and attained great fame? Any such subject would test even an experienced writer and Sir Roger Casement more so. All due deference ought to be shown to this study of the life of Roger Casement, not least because, on

For Pride Month 2024 members of Shepherd and Wedderburn’s Pride Network write on this year’s topic of LGBTQ+ inclusion in television. This month, we are given an opportunity to educate ourselves and others; an opportunity to support and uplift a community; an opportunity to observe and p

Alison Woods examines the employment law reform proposals of the main UK parties and discusses what both employees and employers should expect. As the July general election approaches, we are seeing key differences between the main Westminster parties on the issue of employment law reform, which wil

Solicitors should support alternative business structures at the AGM of the Law Society of Scotland on Thursday, writes Brian Inkster. Section 47 to 49 of the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 allowed for the creation of licensed legal service providers (commonly referred to as alternative business

In a landmark decision, which adds to the growing global body of climate-based jurisprudence, the Supreme Court has held by a majority that before a developer is allowed to proceed with a project that extracts fossil fuels, it must carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that assesses the