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The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is seeking the authority to impose unlimited fines on firms when their solicitors are found to have engaged in serious misconduct. SRA board chair Anna Bradley made the request to Justice Secretary Alex Chalk in a letter to Mr Chalk concerning the investigat

HMP Barlinnie is at risk of "catastrophic failure" as it operates at 140 per cent capacity with close to 1,400 prisoners, despite being designed to hold 987. A new facility, intended to replace the 140-year-old prison, was initially scheduled to open in 2025, but this has been delayed until 2027.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Rights groups urge Laos to release missing Chinese lawyer who was trying to get to US | CNN

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has removed advice to barristers against misgendering trans men and women on social media. The BSB withdrew a case study from its guidance to the 17,000 practising barristers in England and Wales. The study detailed a hypothetical online exchange where a transgender wom

Mackinnons Solicitors LLP has announced the appointment of Alan Simpson as an associate within its private client team at Cults. Mr Simpson deals with a broad spectrum of private client work, including the preparation of wills, power of attorneys, executry work and residential conveyancing.

A former GP practice manager whose crimes forced a surgery to close has been ordered to pay back a total of £41,157 under the Proceeds of Crime Act following a conviction for embezzlement. Jacqueline Rodger, 56, had admitted embezzling £155,012 from Greenhills medical practice in East Ki

Almira Delibegović-Broome KC, advocate and chair of JUSTICE Scotland, will deliver the Opening of the Academic Year Alumni Lecture 2023 at Edinburgh Law School next month. She will speak about migration, the rule of law and the roles of lawyers. This event will be held in the Usha Kasera Lectu

A police force that boasted of having seized a large volume of chocolate and sweets from men who were "acting suspiciously" has been widely mocked on social media. Lewisham Central Policing Team tweeted photos of a large haul of chocolate bars – including popular brands such as Galaxy and Aero

Keoghs has expanded its footprint in Scotland with new appointments and promotions. In the Glasgow office, the firm welcomed two new partners, three associates, four claims handlers, and initiated its first-ever trainee programme. Among these, Joanne Farrell, previously of BTO Solicitors and Weightm

Average house prices in Scotland have risen by 1.57 per cent between June 2022 and May 2023 and recorded substantial variations across the country.

The Crown Office is facing calls to disclose its "confidential" guidelines for issuing recorded police warnings (RPWs), The Herald reports. The calls follow the recent assault of a woman, Julie Marshall, at a rally in Aberdeen. Her attacker, a 26-year-old man, was given an RPW, prompting outrag

Rural business and agricultural law specialists Eden Legal Limited has announced that it has acquired the business of Perth-based private client firm McKean Gardner Limited. Craig Harvie, director, said: “We are delighted that this merger has now been completed. Our firms have worked closely t

Figures from business, trade unions, equality groups and academia are coming together to advise the Scottish government on its fair work agenda. Chaired by Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray, the Fair Work Oversight Group meets for the first time today and aims to help ensure that policies delive

Extensive war crimes are being committed in Sudan as the conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) ravages the country, Amnesty International said in a new report. The report, Death Came To Our Home: War Crimes and Civilian Suffering In Sudan, documents mass civ

I will have been a member of the Scots bar for 30 years come December, although recently I have been non-practising. In anticipation of my future return to work I get legal updates from a variety of sources. One such update, via my clerks, came from FACBA [Faculty of Advocates Criminal Bar Associati