News

Appeals to the UK Supreme Court should not require certification by the High Court of Justiciary that the issue raises a point of law of general public importance, a review chaired by the Lord Justice General has concluded. The review group has published its report following a consultation

Lord Hodge has expressed his doubt that complex financial crimes are best tried before a jury instead of a tribunal or court of specialists. The UK Supreme Court justice made the remarks in a speech in Shanghai on "The involvement of the public in the criminal process in the United Ki

Andrew Lyon has been announced as the new head of financial services at TLT. Mr Lyon has been at the firm for 11 years and leads the financial services disputes and investigations team in London.

Rodney Whyte looks at the gains made by LBTT and what needs to be done to maintain them. As a specialist in land acquisition and housebuilding, it was encouraging to note that revenue from the Land and Building Transaction Tax (LBTT) in the last full financial year rose by 12.8 per cent to £54

Lawyers throughout the UK are being urged to FLAG IT UP in an attempt to curb multi-billion pound money laundering criminals. The UK government has launched a new campaign which aims to raise awareness among professionals in the legal, accountancy and property sectors who are often targeted by money

Italy's highly restrictive prison regime for Mafiosi violated the human rights of one known as "the boss of bosses", the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. The late Bernardo Provenzano, a Cosa Nostra boss imprisoned in 2006 after being found guilty of a spate of murders, had complained of poo

Action is underway to improve the management of prisoners serving the end of their custodial sentence at home, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has said. It follows the publication of two inspectorate reports into the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme, which allows for prisoners to be relea

Lawyers and law students are being invited to a special event to formally launch a new Faculty of Advocates scholarship and to mark the first anniversary of the Scottish Ethnic Minorities Lawyers' Association (SEMLA). The evening will feature a keynote speech by Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf. The d

US star lawyer David Rudolf, who featured in the popular Netflix documentary The Staircase, has urged Scotland not to scrap its historic ‘not proven’ verdict ahead of a new speaking tour focused on problems with the criminal justice system in the US and abroad. In an interview with Scott

A couple found sleeping in a flat with a stolen sex toy and packet of custard creams have admitted a charge of possessing stolen goods. Nadine Kelbie, 22, and Andrew Mason, 23, were caught with the items, which had been stolen from a flat on the floor below earlier on the same night.

A man found guilty of attempted murder after fire-bombing two houses in a revenge attack following an assault on his younger brother has had an appeal against conviction rejected. Naveed Iqbal, who originally faced trial along with three others, was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment for inst

Lord Hodge has underlined the importance of corroboration as a safeguard mitigating the simple majority required to secure a conviction in the Scots jury system. In a speech delivered to the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, the Supreme Court justice contrasted the jury system of Scotland with

Landlords will be forced to acquire full planning permission to lease homes by the night on websites including Airbnb and land for house-building will be made more affordable after changes to the Scottish Government’s Planning Bill were agreed by MSPs yesterday. Holyrood’s Local Governme

The European Parliament has backed plans to ban single-use plastic items – including straws, cotton buds, plates and cutlery – in the EU within three years. The measures, agreed by MEPs by 571-53 with 34 abstentions, are part of a bid to cut down on marine litter, whi

A worker afraid of cotton wool has won a £9,000 payout after colleagues put cotton balls down his shirt, The Times reports. David Burns, 40, has sidonglobophobia – a fear of cotton wool. He was sacked after he reacted to a provocation from colleagues which included being hit with cotton