News

Lord Ericht has reduced decisions to allow production from two oil and gas fields. There were three petitions relating to oil or gas projects in the North Sea and North Atlantic. Two non‑governmental organisations, Greenpeace and Uplift, sought to challenge (a) the decision of the secretary of sta

His Majesty The King, on the recommendation of First Minister John Swinney has appointed Sheriff Fiona Tait as senator of the College of Justice. Sheriff Tait will take up appointment on 5 February 2025.

The Judicial Office for Scotland is now on Instagram. The new social media account has been created to inform and educate the public about Scotland’s judicial office holders and their role and work within the justice system.

The Crown Office has lodged a first notice to begin the court process for a fatal accident inquiry into the death of Grayson McEwan. Baby Grayson was born in the early hours of 22 October 2022 at Royal Alexandra Hospital and died at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in the early afternoon of t

The Scottish Human Rights Commission has found that people with learning disabilities and autistic people are still being held in institutions in breach of their human rights, with no evidence of a human rights based approach to end this practice. A new report from the human rights watchdog identifi

A strike by criminal barristers in Northern Ireland is to continue for another month after the Department of Justice was accused of failing to "engage meaningfully" with the Bar. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) began a boycott of legally aided Crown Court cases at the start of the year to pile pr

JUSTICE has proposed the first rights-based framework to guide AI use across the justice system. The framework aims to harness the power of this technology while guarding against its risks.   The UK government plans to use AI to "revolutionise" public services, and AI is already shaping the jus

The Lady Chief Justice, Lady Carr, has delivered a lecture on the topic of 'Mediation after the Singapore Convention'. The lecture, topical as the UK became a signatory in 2023 but has not yet ratified the Convention, was delivered at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

Dentons has continued to highlight its commitment to creating a supportive environment for those experiencing menopause in the workplace by introducing the MenoVest, a simulator designed to replicate menopause symptoms.

Conor Greenan has qualified as a solicitor with Scullion LAW after joining the firm as a trainee in 2022. Head of property law, Gemma Miller, said: "We are incredibly proud of Conor's achievements during his traineeship. His hard work and determination have been evident from day one, and we are deli

A school head teacher has been arrested after allegedly hosting a boozy house party for more than 100 under-age drinkers. Police in Cocoa Beach, Florida say they arrived at the home of Roosevelt Elementary School principal Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan to find "over 100 juveniles... many of whom were cons

Clyde & Co brought together 240 people for their annual Burns Night celebration at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London last Thursday. The event, which started in 2001 with just 15 guests, was a vibrant tribute to the life and works of Robert Burns, where guests enjoyed an evening filled w

Northern Ireland’s High Court has granted a declaration to the Bar Council of Northern Ireland and the Law Society of Northern Ireland that the Department of Justice and Legal Services Agency are in contravention of their statutory duty to pay properly presented legal aid bills. Delivering jud

A new law to bring about an immediate reduction in the prison population will take effect from 11 February. The Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Act – passed by the Scottish Parliament in November last year – will change the release point for those serving prison sentences of less th

Three lawyers based in Scotland have appeared in The Lawyer Hot 100 2025 list. Fraser Oliver, Jennifer Malcolm and Niall Mackle all appear on the latest edition of the list, compiled on the basis of "excellence" and "relevance".