News

Prison guards have confiscated a feast of steak and crab legs smuggled behind bars as an apparent Christmas treat. The gift package, which also included cigarettes, rolling tobacco and cannabis, was dropped by drone into a prison in South Carolina.

The police watchdog is straining under an exploding workload, with investigations up 375 per cent in 12 years, its commissioner has warned. The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) Laura Paton said that although formal performance targets were still being met, the volume of work had

Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM) has moved to a new office in the heart of Edinburgh. After joining forces with Davidson Chalmers Stewart earlier this year, the firms will now operate from under one roof, joined by the growing complex personal injury team from Irwin Mitchell.

Brodies LLP has appointed new partner Bill Barton and will be opening an office in Leeds to support the growth of its construction practice. Mr Barton has specialised in contentious and non-contentious construction law for over 30 years. With experience across a broad range of sectors, including ind

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has called for further improvements across local authorities in Scotland after warning that many people trying to access their own care records are being let down.  Research from ICO found that people are facing systemic and demoralising challen

Senior prosecutors are warning that puppies bought from illegal breeders as Christmas presents are helping to bankroll serious organised crime gangs. Unlawfully bred dogs sold through a black-market trade on social media or small advert sites have been identified as a significant source of revenue f

New figures from the Scottish Land Commission show Scotland’s rural land market continued to cool in 2024, with fewer large-scale sales and a marked drop in forestry values contributing to a quieter and more varied picture across the country. The Rural Land Market Data Report 2025 tracks activ

More than 100 separate resources have been brought together for the first time to support Scottish public sector organisations in "effectively embedding" equality and human rights in their day-to-day work. The Mainstreaming Toolkit is part of a suite of new publications – including a guiding E

Dr Eddy Wifa and Dr Mitchell Lennan have both been appointed as co-directors of the Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law (AUCEL).  Dr Wifa is a senior lecturer (energy law) at the School of Law, which he joined in 2020 following the completion of his PhD in Marine Renewable Energy Health a

Elon Musk's social media platform X has been fined €120 million by the European Commission for breaches of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), including over its paid "blue checkmark" system. Originally introduced to verify the identity of high-profile users such as celebrities and journalists,

The FBI has issued a public alert over scammers using AI-generated images to fake kidnappings and extort victims for money. Publicly-available social media pictures provide enough source material for criminals to create "fake proof of life photos in virtual kidnapping for ransom scams", the law enfo

Human rights remain out of reach for many people, according to a new report published by the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC). The State of the Nation 2025 report focuses on economic, social and cultural rights, the rights that ensure everyone can live with dignity: rights to adequate housing

Govan Law Centre (GLC) has raised judicial review proceedings in the Court of Session against Tayside Health Board over its failure to provide medical assessments and treatments for adults with suspected Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). GLC's client lives in Perth and Kinross where n

A woman who attacked a 97-year-old man in his home and caused injuries from which he later died has been jailed for more than six years. William Lambie suffered a fractured thigh after Tandy Swinton, 44, assaulted him in his Dundee flat while demanding money. He underwent surgery in hospital but die

David Lammy has been accused by senior barristers of misusing statistics about rape cases collapsing in what they describe as a “cynical” attempt to justify plans to abolish jury trials for roughly half of Crown Court cases. The justice secretary has repeatedly claimed that 60 per cent o