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Vulnerable women will benefit from reforms which will encourage judges to consider community sentences above "ineffective" short prison sentences of 12 months or less, according to the Scottish government.Around 90 per cent of women sent to prison are given a custodial sentence of a year or less and

A series of recommendations to improve the way sexual offences are prosecuted in Scotland and across the UK has been drawn up by JUSTICE, the law reform and human rights group. Its report calls for more sexual assault referral centres to be created in Scotland, and for much greater use of inter

Legal and police figures have been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Professor Hector MacQueen FBA FRSE, of the University of Edinburgh, has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to legal scholarship.

Criminal barristers have voted by a huge majority for a national walkout in July 1 in protest at paltry fees in an action that will bring the justice system to its knees for a day. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) ballot results showed that only 139, or 5.1 per cent of respondents, voted against a

Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace (RCCW) has appointed Callum McDonald as its new managing partner amid a period of growth for the company. Mr McDonald's appointment comes following the retirement of Keith Allan, who has amassed almost 40 years’ service with the firm, including eight years

When a legal matter involves a child, there is a fine line between protecting the child and excluding them from something which directly impacts them, writes Jennifer Maciver. Recent announcements from the Scottish government suggest that more will be done in this often difficult situation. Minister

Employment law, HR and health & safety specialist, Law At Work (LAW), has recorded a sharp increase in employment claims since fees were abolished in July 2017. The firm saw a 25 per cent rise in claims in 2018 compared with the previous year when fees were overturned, and an increase of 120 per

Solicitor Aamer Anwar has spoken to The Scotsman about threats to his life made after he called for unity within Scotland's Muslim community following the murder of Glasgow shopkeeper in 2016. Asad Shah, an Ahmadi Muslim, was killed by a Sunni Muslim.

A report by the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) has found that officers who pursued a stolen car before it was involved in a high speed collision were not trained or authorised to do so. The one mile pursuit, which took place in the early hours of Thursday 22 November 2018 bet

More than 100 survivors of the Grenfell tower fire are taking legal action in the US against companies they believe are to blame for the disaster, the BBC reports. The lawsuit is targeting cladding maker Arconic, as well as insulation maker Celotex and Whirlpool, a fridge supplier.

Aberdeen law graduate Hanifi Baris faces life imprisonment for the second time in less than a year, The Press and Journal reports. On 4th July 2018 he was arrested in Istanbul and charged with “posting items of criminal content” on his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Aberdein Considine has been awarded a top honour at a UK legal award ceremony.

Two men allegedly tried to use a blowtorch to break into an ATM – but instead welded it shut. The Florida men were apparently trying to break open the machine, on Okaloosa Island, Fox News reports.

A British citizen wanted by authorities in Taiwan to serve a prison sentence after he was found guilty of negligent manslaughter following a drink-driving accident has successfully appealed against an order for his extradition. Zain Dean was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment after bei

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have today called for recognition of the "emergency" in Scotland’s prisons as new figures revealed the total number of assaults in prisons increased by 41 per cent last year. Data acquired by the party through a freedom of Information request also showed that the