News

Campaigners who claimed that legislation allowing women to terminate pregnancies by taking abortion pills at home is “unlawful” have had their appeal rejected. The Inner House of the Court of Session upheld a judge’s decision to dismiss a legal challenge brought by the Society for

Lord Neuberger has warned that further cuts in the justice system will lead to a “breakdown of the rule of law”, The Times reports. The former president of the Supreme Court said the rule of law was “absolutely fundamental” but had been taken for granted in the UK following t

Douglas Strang looks at the case law on religious discrimination in the workplace. Some of the most challenging HR/employment law issues of the recent years have related to religious discrimination and in particular the question of whether an employee can rely on their religious beliefs as justifica

The General Data Protection Regulation came into force on 25 May 2018. As GDPR approaches its first birthday, what should be on your to-do list? Martin Sloan shares his top five actions that will help to ensure you remain GDPR compliant. 1. Check your privacy notice and register of processing activi

Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) has opened a statutory inquiry into Google Ireland's processing of personal data. The inquiry will establish whether the processing of personal data as part of Google's personalised online advertising system is compatible with the EU General Data Prote

David Lorimer, PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen, analyses a new Northern Ireland report into reforming the law on serious sexual offences. He argues what is law for the accused should be law for the complainer. The Gillen Report to the Criminal Justice Board on reform of the law on seriou

An Irish man whose access to a solicitor was restricted during questioning by police on suspicion of murder did not suffer a violation of his right to a fair trial, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled. The applicant, Barry Doyle, was arrested in February 2009 in connection with the

Washington has become the first US state to approve composting of human remains as an alternative to cremation. Governor Jay Inslee signed a new law allowing licensed facilities to provide “natural organic reduction”, which changes a body into roughly two wheelbarrows' worth of soil over

Watermans Solicitors is geared up to support one of Britain’s best young riders, Rory Skinner, after the multiple British youth champion was named as the winner of a campaign to find the firm’s next sports ambassador. The 17-year-old motorcycle racer from Perth has been riding since he w

A dead woman was within her rights to disinherit two of her children who accused her of witchcraft. The late mother-of-three lawfully removed her sons Francisco and Jorge Javier from her will, the Supreme Court of Spain has ruled.

An Iraqi national of Kurdish ethnicity whose claim for asylum in the UK was refused will have his case reconsidered after appealing against the decision. The appellant argued that both the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) and the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) (UT) “materially erred

Advocate Michael Upton, M.C.I.Arb., of Hastie Stable, summarises two recent cases on the new Electronics Communications Code. Relations between landlords and telecoms operators in respect of the installation and maintenance of electronic communications apparatus on land and buildings are in importan

The Scottish government is seeking views on how best to incorporate the UN’s ‘gold standard’ for children’s rights into Scots law and improve the lives of children and young people. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the most complete statemen

Being traumatised, being young, being held on remand and being in the first three months of custody increases the risk of suicide, a report on mental health services for young people entering custody at HMP YOI Polmont has found. The report follows an expert review instigated last November in the wa

TLT has grown its UK-wide corporate team with the appointment of Kirsty Smith as legal director in Glasgow, who joins from DWF. She joins Damien Bechelli, who moved to TLT as partner, also from DWF, in November 2018.