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A lawyer has been publicly reprimanded after falsely telling a court he was showing signs of early-onset dementia in an attempt to be removed from a criminal case. Fred Blake Perkins, an attorney from Emmetsburg, in the US state of Iowa was appointed to represent a man who was arrested in December 2

AI systems being considered for use in courts and tribunals can be significantly influenced by the quality of legal arguments put before them, according to new research from Maynooth University and University College Dublin. The study found that every major AI model tested was susceptible to persuas

Judges will be given AI assistants to help prepare criminal cases in the Crown Court under plans being unveiled by the UK government. The Ministry of Justice will trial the use of AI to analyse case material, conduct legal research and identify cases that are ready for trial. Officials say the tools

An American law firm has set a new City pay record for NQ solicitors after raising starting salaries to £189,000. Los Angeles-headquartered Quinn Emanuel has increased pay for newly qualified lawyers by £9,000, putting it ahead of its nearest US rivals in London and almost £40,000

A more cautious and selective approach to buying land is emerging across Scotland’s rural land market, according to a new report published by the Scottish Land Commission. The Rural Land Market Insights Report 2026, produced in partnership with SRUC, suggests the rapid growth and speculative a

Morton Fraser MacRoberts (MFMac) has announced 14 promotions across the firm.

A new toolkit designed to assist legal pro bono charities in measuring and articulating their positive impact is to be launched this month. The Pro Bono Sector Impact Toolkit was developed by the National Pro Bono Centre (NPBC), a charity "dedicated to supporting individuals and organisations provid

Judges deserve to do their job free from intimidation, free from harassment and free from political interference, agrees Congress. GMB’s National Congress, taking place in Blackpool this week, agreed a motion condemning criticism of judges "and their decisions".

The Scottish Human Rights Commission has achieved the top grade of international accreditation at the United Nations as a national human rights institution (NHRI) for the fourth time. This award of 'A Status' from the Global Alliance of NHRIs and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner fo

Holmes Mackillop Solicitors has announced the promotions of two trainees in its Glasgow office. The conclusion of their traineeship sees Paul Campbell and Liam Reilly each assume the position of solicitor in the firm’s property and corporate teams respectively.

The president of a Taiwanese university has taken a two-month unpaid leave of absence after a bizarre incident in which he told graduating students who are unable to cope with the demands of working life that they should “quickly end themselves". Chen Ching-ho, president of Shih Hsin Universit

Irwin Mitchell is exploring the possibility of bringing in a private equity investor as the law firm seeks to regain control of its parent company from a growing number of former partners. The Sheffield-headquartered firm, which generated almost £330 million in revenue last year, is understood

CMS has announced 40 promotions in Scotland, including two lawyers who have been promoted to of counsel. The newly promoted of counsel are Aberdeen-based Andy Atwell and Edinburgh-based Jenni Darling, both of whom specialise in employment disputes.

A new report from Addleshaw Goddard has revealed that the global stadium sector is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history, as venues evolve from single-use sports arenas into complex, year-round commercial ecosystems. ‘Inside the New Economy of a Stadium’ h

Scotland’s freedom of information watchdog is planning to limit the number of appeals any individual can have active at one time after a sharp rise in caseloads has left the organisation struggling to cope. The Scottish Information Commissioner received 1,084 appeals in 2025-26, up from 593 th