News

An immigration ‘cliff edge’ would be a real problem for the many sectors which currently rely on large numbers of EU migrant workers. Transitional arrangements are essential to ensure ‘business as usual’ is possible for many of our clients post-Brexit, writes Steven Dunn 

Donald Findlay QC has narrated an audio book on the life of Scottish serial killer Peter Manuel, The Herald reports. Manuel was executed in 1958 at the age of 31 following one of the most famous trials in Scottish legal history and a killing spree that saw at least eight people die.

Legislation is to be brought forward this year requiring abattoirs to install CCTV in all areas where live animals are present. The proposal was backed by the vast majority of respondents to a recent consultation carried out by the Scottish government. 

Magistrates are calling for their retirement age to be raised from 70 to 75 to stem the judicial recruitment crisis, The Times reports. Over the past 10 years, the number of magistrates has halved from roughly 15,000.

Magic Circle firms have overtaken US firms in the UK league table for mergers and acquisitions, The Times reports. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, with 60 deals worth $144.4 billion over the past year, led the latest Mergermarket league table compiled for Legal Week, followed by Slaughter and May, H

A motorist was arrested on New Year's Day after a roadside drug test showed a positive result – for all five detectable drugs. The 31-year-old man showed a positive result for the ingestion of cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, cannabis and amphetamines.

A teenager who was sentenced to 18 months’ detention after being convicted of assault has had his custodial sentence quashed following an appeal. The High Court of Justiciary Appeal Court imposed a community payback order (CPO) after ruling that the sheriff erred in his approach to s

The Scottish government has admitted it failed to follow the correct procedures in an investigation into Alex Salmond over allegations of sexual harassment and has had its findings struck down by Lord Pentland in the Court of Session. The former first minister crowdfunded £100,000 for his case

Brodies LLP chairman, Christine O’Neill has been re-elected to serve a third consecutive term in the role. Partners voted unanimously for Ms O'Neill, who was first elected to the position of chairman in 2013, to continue to guide the firm through the next three years.

Oil and gas lawyer Martin Ewan has been appointed president of the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen. The society promotes legal professional expertise in Aberdeen and the north east and its origins can be traced back to the 16th century. Its members include lawyers, members of the judiciary, su

EU law expert Professor Tobias Lock has joined Maynooth University Department of Law from Edinburgh Law School. At Edinburgh, Professor Lock was lecturer and then senior lecturer in EU law from 2013-18, having previously lectured at University College London, the University of Surrey and the Univers

The Scottish woman who became the UK's first female solicitor is being honoured by her alma mater. Madge Easton Anderson was a graduate of Glasgow University who joined the profession in 1920.

Solicitors are to be honoured for their contribution to society as part of the Law Society of Scotland's 70th anniversary celebrations. The society is inviting nominations for honorary membership for outstanding service for the public good by a Scottish solicitor.

“No negligence where the doctors disagree” used to be the approach of the courts to expert evidence in medical cases.

The US Navy has finally abandoned an archaic practice of locking misbehaving sailors up with only bread and water to eat. The punishment was scrapped by the British Navy in 1891 but has only now come to an end in the US.