News

A new protocol has been introduced to speed up the release of the bodies of murder victims that have been retained for post-mortem examinations. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, suspicious, accidental or unexplained deaths in

The Legal Sector Affinity Group (LSAG) has urged lawyers to support Flag It Up, the UK government’s anti-money laundering campaign, and flag up suspicions about potential ‘dirty’ or laundered money. Flag It Up supports lawyers to spot the red flags or warning signs of money launder

A major annual regulatory conference will have a Faculty of Advocates finale, with a speech by senior counsel, Andrew Webster QC. Mr Webster, First Scottish Standing Counsel, is to look at Different Tribunals: Different Challenges: Different Results? in the last talk of the day at the 11th Annual Re

A leading anti-extortion activist in Sicily has been arrested on suspicion of committing extortion. Salvatore Campo, president of the Sicilian Anti-Extortion Association (ASIA), has also been charged with embezzlement and fraud.

The BarristerBlogger, Matthew Scott, takes a comprehensive look at the European Court of Human Rights' recent blasphemy judgment and finds it severely wanting. The decision of the Fifth Section of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of E.S. v. Austria has been welcomed by Islamists i

A Turkish national who was seeking leave to remain in the UK as the spouse of his Scottish wife has successfully appealed against the decision to refuse his application. The Inner House of the Court of Session ruled that the First-tier Tribunal failed to make findings in fact about the app

The High Court of Justiciary today approved Scotland’s first sentencing guideline, which sets out the general principles and purposes of sentencing for all offences. During a short hearing, Lord Carloway, Lord Brodie, and Lord Drummond Young approved the guideline, which was developed by the S

Private client experts Euan Fleming and Joe Davies have joined Gilson Gray. Mr Fleming, who joins as partner and head of the private client team said: “I am incredibly happy to be joining, arguably, the most ambitious law firm in Scotland. Certainly the firm’s growth and results spe

The latest edition of the Legal 500 has been published and Compass Chambers has received 34 rankings over six practice areas. There has been a particularly strong showing in our core areas. Nineteen Compass members have been ranked in the category of Personal Injury and Medical Negligence (more than

Terra Firma Chambers has been recognised in the latest edition of the Legal 500 for its strength in planning and environmental law, property, commercial, public and tax law. In the new rankings, released yesterday, 25 members of Terra Firma received 38 individual recommendations while the clerking t

Gillespie Macandrew and its client have achieved a landmark decision in the development of one of the UK’s largest wind farms on croft land. The firm acted for Viking Energy in its application to the Scottish Land Court for permission to proceed with a wind farm development on central Mainland

Thompsons Solicitors has announced a number of promotions to associate level. Senior solicitors Alan Calderwood, Claire Campbell, Paul Deans, Michael Briggs and Joel Shaw will take up their new positions from 1 November. Joel Shaw from the private accident department said: “I think I speak on

House prices in Aberdeen and its suburbs remained unchanged in the third quarter of this year, a new report shows. Aberdeen Solicitors’ Property Centre Limited, in cooperation with the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Real Estate Research, has published statistics for the third quarter of 2

Graeme McKinstry comments on the pressures faced by high street practitioners. The recent high-profile changes within the profession, the latest being the disappearance of Leslie Wolfson & Co. to another English predator highlight the inexorable increase in the pressures on the traditional busin

The Scotsman has published a full obituary of Murray Sinclair, who passed away last month at the age of 57. Mr Sinclair had been director of the Scottish Government Legal Directorate since 2007. Over a career spanning three decades he served four Secretaries of State for Scotland, six First Minister