News

Lord Boyd of Duncansby has been appointed as Vice President of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal. The tribunal, which has UK-wide jurisdiction, provides a right of redress for anyone who believes that they have been a victim of unlawful action by a public authority using covert investigative techniq

Donald Reid, a partner in and chairman of Glasgow law firm Mitchells Roberton, has been elected Dean of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow. The Faculty, which has existed since before 1668, represents most legal practitioners in Greater Glasgow. Mitchells Roberton is equally venerable, trac

I seldom go to the High court these days. High court generally means legal aid, and a recent time and study analysis showed fees earned on such work did not meet office overheads far less make a profit. Thus, the reduced number of High court cases I take on each year are regarded as pro bono because

Harper Macleod LLP has announced its expansion into Moray after acquiring the business of one of the area's oldest legal practices, Wink & Mackenzie. Partners Ian Davidson and Lauren Wright will be joined by W&M's 15-strong staff in becoming part of Harper Macleod from 2 September, adding to

Legislation to introduce an opt-out system of organ and tissue donation for deceased donors has been passed by the Scottish Parliament. The bill was introduced in June 2018 to add to existing measures aimed at increasing the number of successful donations in Scotland. International evidence suggests

Legislation to support people who struggle to pay their fuel bills, targeting those who need help the most, has been passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament. The Fuel Poverty Bill enshrines in law the Scottish government’s commitment to tackle the root causes of fuel poverty.

Members of the public are being invited to give their views on a new sentencing guideline setting out the steps taken by courts in making sentencing decisions, and the factors which may be taken into account. The Scottish Sentencing Council has today launched a 12-week public consultation seeking vi

Between March and May 2019, the volume of property sales in east central Scotland increased by 14.3 per cent compared to last year. Within Edinburgh, the sales volume increased by 18.9 per cent year-on-year. This is a result of more properties coming to market in recent months which has helped to me

A new book on crofting law was launched this week at a reception held in the main law library of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow. A Practical Guide to Crofting Law has been written by crofting law expert Brian Inkster.

Evidence-led trials in the High Court of Justiciary rose by 10 per cent between 2017/18 and 2018/19, fuelled by an increased reporting of sexual offending cases. The fourth Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service statistical bulletin also reveals that Sheriff Court solemn business shows a seven per ce

Three Scottish law firms have become record-breaking fundraisers for an annual will-writing campaign. McClure Solicitors, which has branches in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverclyde; Rollos Law in Fife and Miller Hendry in Dundee, Perth and Crieff, raised a total of £47,634 between them

A man who was allegedly caught with cocaine on his nose during a traffic stop claimed that it "was not his", police said. Officers who pulled over the car in the early hours of Sunday morning noticed a "white powdery substance" on a passenger's nose.

A man found guilty of two charges of rape who claimed that the trial judge “distracted” the jury by giving an “inappropriate and unnecessary” direction on the issue of reasonable belief of consent has had an appeal against his convicted rejected. The Appeal Court of the

Controversial plans to extend the presumption against short sentences have been approved by a majority of Holyrood's Justice Committee. The change was pushed through by seven votes to two, with Tory MSPs opposing the move.

Ambitious targets to tackle bullying and drive diversity have been announced at a summit celebrating 100 years of women in law. In a speech the Lord Advocate, James Wolffe QC, praised the steps taken by the legal profession to increase inclusivity over the past century, while calling on the professi