News

Alan McDonald (pictured) explains a decision on enforcement of assigned standard securities. It has always been commonplace, particularly in recent years, for secured lenders to assign the benefit of standard securities in their favour. It is also perfectly normal for portfolios of such securities t

A former top judge has warned that the “torrent” of Brexit legislation may go unscrutinised. Delivering the Bingham lecture in London yesterday, former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, said that there were already thousands of items of legislation going unread.

A woman who challenged a Scottish local authority’s decision to grant planning permission for the development of a new wind farm in Perthshire has had her appeal refused. Helen Douglas argued that Perth and Kinross Council failed to have proper regard to its obligations as planning authority in re

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP has strengthened its financial services capabilities with the appointment of Carolyn Bell (pictured), as director of its financial services group in Edinburgh. The former in-house managing legal counsel with Lloyds Banking Group and Aberdeen Asset Management joins the f

Concern has been raised by the Faculty of Advocates about a key element of plans to outlaw psychological domestic abuse. It fears the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill “does not capture or reflect” an important distinction between coercive control and limited incidents of abusive behaviour which ar

The Scottish Young Lawyers' Association (SYLA) will host its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 1 June 2017 at 29, 29 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow commencing at 6pm. At the AGM the president will report on the year's activities and the treasurer will present accounts. Any amendments to the constit

SCTS is pleased to announce the programme of public events during April and May to discuss propositions for the radical transformation of the summary justice system, contained in the SCTS Proposition Paper: A New Model for Summary Criminal Court Procedure, published on 28 February this year. The pap

A maths teacher found guilty of two charges of child sex offences 17 years apart on the basis of “mutual corroboration” has successfully appealed against his conviction. The Criminal Appeal Court ruled that there were no compelling features of such a striking similarity to suggest that the two o

Andrew Langdon QC The reality of court proceedings is being “grossly distorted” as a result of waning court reporter numbers, a barrister has warned.

Adrian Ward MBE The solicitor credited with pioneering much of Scotland’s modern law on incapacity and mental disabilities is to be awarded honorary life membership of the Law Society of Scotland.

The Law Society of Scotland’s Council is proposing to freeze solicitors’ practising certificate fee for the eighth consecutive year. Solicitors will vote on maintaining the current practising certificate fee of £550 at the Law Society’s AGM on Thursday, 25 May 2017.

Roy Martin QC In a paper presented at the Pensions: Shaping New Law into Solution-Focused Advice for Clients Conference in London last month, Roy Martin QC considers the history of recent litigation in Scotland in connection with the application and alteration of rules in occupational pension scheme

Alan McDonald (pictured) looks at a case clarifying the "pre-action requirements" required of standard security grantees. In Royal Bank of Scotland plc v Mirza the Sheriff Appeal Court considered arguments relating to the application of the pre-action requirements incumbent upon secured lenders unde

Pictured (L-R): Martin Walker, Scott Clair and James Hyams

Eilidh Wiseman, president of the Law Society of Scotland Trainee solicitors across Scotland could benefit from a pay boost following an increase to the Law Society of Scotland recommended pay rate.