News

A Scandinavian-style sanctuary house for children who have been victims or witnesses of crime is set to open in Scotland next year – the first of its kind in the UK. The Child’s House for Healing will be based on the Barnahus model, first developed in Iceland, and will provide a safe pla

MBM Commercial has provided a good example of networking on behalf of its clients in difficult times.

A Frenchman who attempted to walk across the Pyrénées into Spain to buy cheap cigarettes after being turned back from the border due to lockdown restrictions and who fell into a stream, got lost and had to call mountain rescue, has been fined.  The unnamed man was trying to t

Gordon Jackson QC is to resign as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates later this year. Mr Jackson had referred himself to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) following the publication of footage in which he made comments about the trial of Alex Salmond, who was recently vindicated of variou

The Supreme Court has allowed an appeal by Barclays Bank and held that they were not vicariously liable for any sexual assaults committed by a doctor who performed medical examinations on their behalf. It had been previously held in the High Court in 2017 that the bank was vicariously liab

A criminologist has suggested that Scotland will face prison riots if inmates are not afforded any coronavirus protection. Twelve people died in riots in Italian jails last month after prisoners objected to restrictions on visits.

Neil Casey guides landlords through the emergency changes to housing legislation in Scotland. The Scottish Government has passed the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill, which will now become law. These emergency provisions are due to expire on 30 September 2020, although ministers have the power to ex

Applications are being taken for Faculty of Advocates’ scholarships which can help ease financial tensions during the training period for the bar. Those hoping to begin devilling in 2021 are asked to submit applications by the end of this month – Thursday, 30 April.

A new process to report COVID-19 deaths is now in place. Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has worked with National Records of Scotland (NRS) to put the new procedure in place, which involves cross-checking records between HPS and NRS to identify individuals who have died and have a laboratory-confir

The Bar Council has urged the UK government to provide financial support to barristers' chambers during the coronavirus crisis. It has so far received 145 responses to a survey of 262 of the largest chambers.

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have agreed a new approach to the handling of personal injury cases in the Scottish courts during the coronavirus pandemic. APIL and the ABI have agreed a position in relation to cases where limitati

MBM Commercial senior associate Alexander Lamley shared details of an ongoing expedition.

A legal expert on nuclear weapons has joined calls for the UK government to rethink keeping Trident submarines at sea during the coronavirus pandemic. Professor Nick Grief of Kent Law School is among a group of signatories to a letter questioning whether the cost of keeping the nuclear weapons syste

The University of Glasgow School of Law Cake Committee is raising money for Glasgow South East Foodbank with a Virtual #CakeDay today. The committee would be extremely grateful for donations of any amount, which can be made here. Dr Jill Robbie, lecturer in law, tweeted: "Please bake and tweet a pic

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. In a new age of emergency laws, human rights are more important than ever | New Statesman