News

Nearly 10 years on from the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, a Scottish Parliament committee wants to know if the reforms have delivered on their aims. The 2014 Act introduced new duties on public bodies to consider how their procurement could be used to improve the wellbeing of their local a

Edinburgh Law School's Professor Veronica Ruiz Abou-Nigm has been elected president of the European Law Faculties Association (ELFA). The 2023 annual general meeting and conference of the ELFA took place in Lausanne, Switzerland, from 12 to 14 April. More than one hundred participants attended the e

In what is being heralded as a "huge victory", advocates for 1,300 Kenyan tea plantation workers have triumphed in their multi-million-pound negligence claim against Scottish firm James Finlay. The Aberdeen-based company, supplying giants like Tesco and Sainsbury's, denied accusations of "unsafe" wo

A global "AI revolution" is imminent, threatening jobs in the professional sectors such as law, medicine and finance, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has warned. The influential body cites highly skilled occupations as the most susceptible to AI-fuelled automation,

Kate Dowdalls KC has been installed as the new sheriff principal of the Sheriffdom of South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway. Sheriff Principal Dowdalls was formally appointed to the role on 12 June in a ceremony in Hamilton Sheriff Court. She was welcomed by outgoing incumbent Sheriff Principal A

Colin Hulme details a recent Sheriff Appeal Court case on 'passing off'.  Passing off can happen when a company or person seeks to pass off their goods or services as being the same as or associated with a particular brand and seek to capitalise on that brand’s goodwill.

Axiom Ince Limited has acquired Plexus Legal LLP and Plexus North LLP (Plexus) out of administration for an undisclosed sum. Plexus North operates from one office in Edinburgh and is regulated by the Law Society of Scotland.

Caster Semenya, two-time 800m Olympic champion, faced discrimination due to rules requiring her to reduce her naturally high testosterone levels to continue competing, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled. Ms Semenya has a condition causing higher testosterone levels than most women.

Norma Dawson, professor of law emeritus at Queen’s University Belfast, was awarded the honorary degree of LLD by the University of Edinburgh during the Law School graduation ceremony yesterday. A distinguished scholar, she is best known for her work on property law, trademarks, and legal histo

The Inner House of the Court of Session has issued an important decision in the appeal of Glasgow City council v X. It relates to the duty on local authorities to provide accommodation for homeless persons – that the duty to provide temporary accommodation is less onerous than the duty to prov

Housing minister Paul McLennan discusses the importance of the short term let licensing scheme in Scotland, looking at its benefits to tourism and local economies, and addressing potential safety and housing availability risks. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending a weekend celebrating my

At least 40 lawyers from DWF are anticipating payouts exceeding £1 million each as the company considers transitioning to private ownership. The London-listed firm is in talks with Inflexion Private Equity about a proposed sale valued around £342m. The potential deal could lead to substa

Ripper and Co, a bar in Portsmouth inspired by murderers including Jack the Ripper, has sparked controversy and complaints. The venue, due to open later this month, has been criticised for making light of the Ripper's infamous 1888 murders.

A PhD student at Edinburgh University who was excluded from study after his first-year progression review has successfully petitioned for a judicial review of the university’s Student Appeal Committee’s decision to reject his appeal against exclusion. Chase Shaffar-Roggeveen, who enrolle

A US property developer is building houses solely for what he calls "patriotic Americans", with the stipulation that the Stars and Stripes flag must always be displayed. The estate, known as 1,776 Gastonia, will feature 43 homes exclusively available to individuals aged 55 and above. The starting pr