News

Burges Salmon has advised Alba Trees, the UK’s largest cell-grown tree nursery and a Cibus Fund II portfolio company, on the acquisition of the business and assets of Christies of Fochabers, the long‑established Scottish bare‑root tree nursery. The acquisition secures the core operational

Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment by a court in Hong Kong following his conviction last year under Chinese national security legislation. Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC leads the international legal team representing Mr Lai, who was convicted in December 2025 under the controversial N

A fire-juggling unicyclist who performed in the middle of a busy intersection has impressed police, who said his act "was both quite good and quite illegal". Drone footage shared on Facebook by Commerce City Police Department, located in the US state of Colorado, shows the skilled performer entertai

30 April - 5:30pm The Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow (RFPG) seeks musicians, artists and creatives of all kinds, as we plan to bring back our highly successful showcase, highlighting the immense talent in Scotland's legal community.

The Scottish Universities Law Institutes and the Edinburgh Centre for Private Law are delighted to invite you to join us to celebrate the launch of the second edition of Personal Bar by Professors Elspeth Reid and John Blackie, hosted by the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh. When published in 2006,

New research from Abertay University and UHI Perth has uncovered the key factors driving repeat adult missing incidents and warns that weak or inconsistent follow‑up support is leaving vulnerable people at continued risk. Published in the Psychology, Crime & Law journal, the new study offers o

A trade union is calling for a new law to safeguard transport workers in Scotland against a sharp rise in assaults. Gordon Martin, the RMT’s Scottish organiser, said he has heard “horrendous” stories from members of being spat on, abused, threatened and attacked at work.

The Scottish government been accused of an “abject failure” to tackle Scotland’s drugs problem after paramedics were forced to deal with a record number of overdoses in 2025. Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives, via freedom of information laws, show that ambulance crews

Scientists have been told they cannot describe the sexual reproduction of snails and worms under Russia's "LGBT propaganda" laws. Viktor Kovylin, editor of Russian scientific journal Batrachospermum, said the launch of an upcoming book on the sexual life of animals has been complicated followin

‘Inducing Intimacy: Deception, Consent and the Law’, by Professor Chloë Kennedy of Edinburgh Law School, has been shortlisted for the Socio-Legal Theory and History Prize by the Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA). The prize recognises outstanding contributions to socio-legal the

The Law Society of Scotland has launched a new series of roadshow events to provide smaller law firms with free business support in areas such as technology and regulatory compliance. The first half-day conferences will be held in four key regional centres – Dumfries on 2 March, Perth on 19 Ma

A man who stole multiple identities and accumulated more than £1 million in false bank accounts has been imprisoned for four years. Craig Milligan, 47, of Dumfries, used several aliases – including those of two dead men – to fraudulently open accounts and obtain credit cards.

Scotland must rethink its approach to sentencing and imprisonment, according to the independent Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission. In a new report the commission highlights that Scotland consistently has one of the highest prison population rates in Western Europe and without significant reform

The creation of a new criminal offence of 'ecocide' has moved closer as Holyrood voted to progress the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill to stage two yesterday. The Ecocide Bill was introduced in the Parliament by Monica Lennon MSP last May. Her proposal for tougher criminal sanctions for the most severe envi

Our weekly round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Trump-led abuses amid ‘democratic recession’ put human rights in peril