News

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has reprimanded ACRO Criminal Records Office after cyber security failings left the personal information of up to ten thousand people, including some individuals’ sensitive data, potentially exposed. The ICO’s investigation found that bet

A former European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judge who was removed as Hungary’s Supreme Court president after criticising Viktor Orbán’s government has been appointed the country’s president. András Baka, 73, received 140 votes in Hungary’s parliament yesterd

Australian police have ended a homicide investigation after what appeared to be human remains found in a suitcase on the side of a remote road were thankfully revealed to merely be a lifelike doll. Two members of the public discovered the suitcase while driving through Oallen, about 125 miles southw

A solicitor advocate has warned that complaints from people covertly filmed using smart glasses are likely to increase, and called on Holyrood to consider creating a standalone right to privacy. Paul Motion, who specialises in data protection, social media and reputational law, said the growing use

A private hire taxi driver who raped a teenage passenger after picking her up from a night out in Edinburgh has been jailed. Abdul Nabizada was found guilty of rape at the High Court in Edinburgh on 7 July.

Vitalii Diakov is taking part in the Dundee Kiltwalk on 16 August to raise funds for the Scottish Refugee Council. Mr Diakov, is a member of the National Bar Association of Ukraine, and has been practising as a lawyer since 2010. He arrived in Scotland from Odesa with his wife Hanna at the outbreak

The Financial Conduct Authority is introducing new measures to streamline the Financial Ombudsman complaints process and allow them to focus on the cases they were set up to resolve as a quick and informal alternative to the courts. Under the new measures complaints about banking, insurance and othe

A man who sexually assaulted two young women as they walked home in Falkirk has been sentenced. Muhammad Sheikhi targeted both women within hours of each other on 30 November 2025 in the Kerse Lane area of the town. The 23-year-old approached them without warning, followed them, and carried out sexu

A song by exiled Russian pop star Monetochka that featured in the new Spider-Man film has been removed from screenings in both Ukraine and Russia – but for opposing reasons. Monopoliya plays during a scene set in New York’s Brighton Beach, home to a large Russian-speaking community. Mone

New guidance designed to protect the future of almost half a million traditional buildings across Scotland has been published.

AM Sci Tech, a subsidiary of Hurstwood Holdings, has strengthened its team at Aberdeen Energy and Innovation Parks, with the appointment of Gillian Sidey as in-house lawyer. Ms Sidey brings a wealth of experience and expertise in property law, having advised on a broad range of complex property tran

Police Scotland’s policy allowing transgender detainees to request a strip search by an officer of the opposite biological sex has been backed in an English High Court ruling. The single force lets transgender detainees request a strip search by an officer of their lived gender.

Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has appointed new legal directors Ainsley Reid and Keith Bishop to its Edinburgh office. Ainsley Reid joins WBD’s banking team, bringing extensive experience in real estate finance and wider banking work across Scotland, England and Wales. Dual-qualified in Scotland

Three Banksy artworks in London have cost taxpayers almost £150,000 in removal, security and other expenses, with the final bill expected to increase. The largest cost has arisen from a mural the anonymous artist painted on the Royal Courts of Justice in September 2025. More than £85,000

The Royal Bank of Scotland and Harper Macleod have announced a new partnership to offer legal advice to Scotland’s entrepreneurs. Delivered through the Royal Bank Accelerator programme, the agreement will see a dedicated solicitor assigned to the Glasgow and Edinburgh Accelerator hubs. They wi