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The Scotsman has published an obituary of Mark Dennis, "heraldist, painter, piper, dowser, builder, actor, historian and man of law". "Mark Dennis, the Californian who made Scotland his home, became one of the nation’s finest heraldists and a trusted figure within the legal system. In both dis

There were 54 deaths recorded in prison custody in 2023-24, according to statistics published by the chief statistician today. This is the highest annual figure recorded between 2012-13 and 2023-24 and an increase of 15 from 2022-23. Overall, from 2012-13 to 2023-24, there were 399 deaths recorded i

New proposals to combine Right to Buy legislation to simplify the process for community groups to take over land and assets have been published. The Community Right to Buy Review examined the existing powers introduced since 2003:

A man who raped a vulnerable teenage girl in his vehicle after offering her a lift home has been jailed. Victor Popa, 35, attacked the stranded 14-year-old after picking her up from a taxi rank in Aberdeen in the early hours of 15 January 2023. 

Afroman has won defamation proceedings brought against him by police officers whom he mocked in music videos after a raid on his home. The Because I Got High singer used his own home CCTV footage in videos for songs he released about the incident, such as Will You Help Me Repair My Door, Lemon Pound

The UK's human rights institutions have issued a joint statement reaffirming the importance of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Human Rights Act in protecting fundamental rights.

Greyhound racing has been outlawed in Scotland after MSPs approved legislation banning the sport, which had already declined following the closure of the country’s last track in Fife last year. The Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill, introduced by Green MSP Mark Ruskell, makes it

A group litigation claim has been launched in Scotland against the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson on behalf of women who say they developed mesothelioma, ovarian, and other female reproductive system cancers. All the claimants either used the firm’s talc products which, it is alleg

A high school pupil from Dumfries has been awarded first prize in a Scottish Sentencing Council essay competition. Lia Dymkovska, an S4 pupil at Dumfries High School, was presented with an award and certificate by the Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Beckett, during a visit to Parliament House.

Police have announced a successful operation which led to the seizure of cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, cash – and stolen cornflakes. West Yorkshire Police said a raid on six addresses led to the seizure of drugs with a street value of £750,000, as well as an estimated £10,000 in cas

Thousands more young people who may be at risk of becoming involved in antisocial behaviour and crime will be supported by an additional £26 million of CashBack for Communities funding. CashBack uses money recovered from seized criminal assets and reinvests it into communities. The funding sup

A senior associate in Aberdein Considine LLP’s banking litigation team has achieved accreditation from the Law Society of Scotland as a debt and asset recovery specialist. Ahsan Mustafa works within the firm’s wider lender services practice group and acts for major UK banks, lenders and

On the 20th anniversary of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2006, a coalition of animal protection organisations, lawyers and academics has called on the Scottish government to "urgently reset" how the law is interpreted and applied. A letter written by The Animal Law Foundation argues that the Act

An independent review of how UK government departments and civil servants interact with devolution should be carried out in order to improve the way Westminster works with governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to a new report from a Holyrood committee. The report from the Co

A man who violently assaulted his partner before setting fire to a block of flats in Perth and Kinross has been jailed. David Storie was found guilty of assaulting and choking the woman to the danger of her life following the attack at his home in Milnathort on 1 June 2024.