News

Controversial plans to allow judges in Poland to be sacked have been dealt a major set-back after they were rejected by the upper house of the country's parliament. The governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which won a second successive majority in last year's elections, is pressing on w

Two judges will be speaking at an event on diversity in the judiciary in Glasgow next month. Attendees at the event hosted by SEMLA and Ellis Whittam will hear from Mr Justice Choudhury and Sheriff Aisha Anwar on their paths to the bench.

The Edinburgh Tax Network, in conjunction with Terra Firma Chambers, will present a seminar entitled “(Tax) Year End Planning for Individuals & Owner Managed Businesses?” on Thursday 20th February 2020 at the Mackenzie Building, Old Assembly Close, Edinburgh. The speaker will be Mike

A judge cited hit TV sitcom Seinfeld as he allowed an appeal from a man convicted in absentia after missing a rescheduled court hearing. The man had attended court on time for the original scheduled hearing, which was subsequently cancelled, but then missed the rescheduled hearing by a couple of hou

A foreign student who pled guilty to fraud after falsely claiming she had indefinite leave to remain in order to obtain £23,000 in student funding to pay for a nursing course has successfully appealed against her 14-month prison sentence. The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary ruled

New legislation ensuring that any child witness in the most serious criminal cases will have their evidence pre-recorded comes into force today. The change, which will apply to certain cases in the High Court, will spare under 18s from having to give evidence during a trial.

The Electoral Commission should be given the power to initiate prosecutions at both national and local levels, a cross-party group of MPs has recommended. The proposal is one of 20 recommendations set out in a new report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on electoral campaigning transparen

Scottish Labour has called on the Lord Advocate, James Wolffe QC, to "consider his position" as a result of severe delays within the fatal accident inquiry system. The Sunday National has reported that a mother has been told that she will face an “unbearable” nine-month wait for a toxico

Gillespie Macandrew completed new build plot sales worth £285 million in 2019, representing an increase of 60 per cent on previous annual sale value and representing over 10 per cent of all private new build house sales in Scotland. Scotland is undergoing a programme of new housebuilding with

European organisations have been fined €114 million (£97m) under the GDPR regime, DLA Piper has found. France, Germany and Austria top the rankings for the total value of GDPR fines imposed with just over €51m, €24.5 million and €18 million respectively.

The UK's refusal to allow the inhabitants of the Chagos Islands to return to their homeland is a crime against humanity, an eminent international lawyer speaking in Edinburgh has said. Philippe Sands QC criticised Britain's failure to abide by a judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) w

Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee are set to visit new evidence-taking facilities as the Vulnerable Witnesses Act comes into force today. The new suite, which opened towards the end of last year, aims to provide a less daunting setting than a court for vulnerable witnesses

A career at the bar is becoming "less appealing, or even viable" for new entrants, according to a report by LexisNexis. The company's survey found that despite the fact that nearly three quarters of respondents said their practices had either remained stable or grown, compared to three years ag

A bank robber who hid his face with a pillowcase had to remove it mid-robbery when he realised he couldn't see through it. Matthew Davies, 47, forgot to make eye holes in the pillowcase he put over his head while robbing a bank in Dunfermline last year.

A plumber who injured his arm while playing football over 16 years ago has been awarded more than £540,000 in damages after a Scottish health board admitted liability over its “negligent diagnosis and treatment” of the injury. A judge in the Court of Session ruled that, h