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A key Westminster committee has called for a 10-year "qualified statute of limitations" to protect former and serving soldiers from investigation and prosecution for alleged offences, including alleged murders of civilians in Northern Ireland. In a report published today, the defence select committe

Aberdein Considine has appointed Karen Harvie to the position of senior associate following a significant period of growth. Ms Harvie brings over 30 years’ experience in a range of legal fields, but with a particular focus on employment law. She will be based at the firm’s flagship Multr

The law on civil partnerships, north and south of the border, is set to change, writes Jennifer Liddell. This year, in response to a Supreme Court ruling, Parliament passed the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019. Section 2 of that act requires the Secretary of State

Legal regulators from around the world will be coming to Edinburgh in September to debate a wide range of regulatory topics with global relevance. The event is held in a new city each year, with recent hosts including the Hague, Singapore, Washington DC and Toronto. This year the Law Society of Scot

A third of police files prepared for prosecutors in England and Wales are being returned because of significant mistakes, often leading to delays in the court process, new figures reveal. According to Crown Prosecution Service figures released to The Times, 33 per cent of files submitted to prosecut

A farmer has been fined more than £2,000 for damage to an ancient earthwork which he tried and failed to blame on his sheep. Richard Pugh, 35, admitted that he damaged Offa's Dyke, which follows the ancient border between England and Wales, with his farm equipment.

A man found guilty of rape and sexual assault who claimed that the two offences were too dissimilar for the doctrine of “mutual corroboration” to apply has had an appeal against his conviction rejected. The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary ruled that the circumstanc

The UK government has refused to hold an inquiry into British involvement in rendition and torture, while presenting updated Whitehall guidance – the so-called ‘torture policy’ – that fails to expressly prohibit ministers authorising action carrying a real risk of torture, hu

The Scottish Land Commission has launched a new survey seeking views of communities across Scotland about community engagement in decisions relating to land. The commission said it is supporting communities, landowners and land managers to work together to make better – and fairer – deci

BTO Solicitors LLP has announced the appointment of Will Cole as a partner in its commercial litigation team in Edinburgh. A highly regarded litigator, Mr Cole specialises in assisting individuals, companies and public and third sector organisations with sensitive, business-critical matters.

A Robert Gordon University law graduate who first joined Ledingham Chalmers as a legal secretary 27 years ago with the corporate team will walk through the firm’s doors next year as a trainee solicitor. Wendy Harris originally joined the full-service firm in 1992 and has been a paralegal with

Ben Wilson details Scotland's legislative efforts to tame its carbon emissions amid a growing sense of urgency over climate change. While good progress has been made on improving the Climate Change Bill, especially on the target to reach net-zero by 2045, more still needs to be done to fully enshrin

Plans to extend abortion access and same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland have been approved by the House of Lords, following revisions to the process and timetable. MPs voted last week to amend the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill to include provisions on abortion and marriage which will

An English lawyer is set to appear in a play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe next month.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. British funds ‘are used to enable China’s human rights abuses’ | News | The Times