News

The Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC) has set up a new working group to take forward legislative changes to inquiries into fatal accidents and sudden deaths. Nominations were sought for membership appointments and considered by the Lord President. The working group comprises:

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Lady Rae sentenced Gary Stevenson to life imprisonment with a punishment part of 17 years after he pleaded guilty to the murder of Katy Rourke at their shared flat in Govan. Mr Stevenson murdered Miss Rourke after she refused to have sex with him. He struck

Ray Gribben Ray Gribben examines the government's proposals for tackling money laundering in the wake of the Panama Papers.

Andrew Mackenzie The Scottish Arbitration Centre has won its bid for Edinburgh to host the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) Congress 2020. The other cities that bid for the congress were Copenhagen, Mexico City, Stockholm, St Petersburg, Vancouver and Vienna. The final written

Pictured (L-R): Gill Howie, Arbroath’s Festival of Heroes Committee and Scott Williamson, chairman, Blackadders.

Lord Bracadale A sentence of four years' imprisonment imposed on a motorist who was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving while almost three times the legal limit for alcohol was not “unduly lenient”, appeal judges have ruled.

Helena Kennedy In a damning report published today, the House of Lords EU Justice Committee has questioned the need for the UK government's proposed "British Bill of Rights", given its similarity to the Human Rights Act and European Convention on Human Rights, and warned that it may damage the UK's

Four Scottish legal figures have taken up places at Holyrood for the Conservatives as the party becomes the main opposition in Scotland. Among the 31 Conservatives MSPs are advocates Gordon Lindhorst (pictured right) and Donald Cameron (pictured below) as well as Professor Adam Tomkins and Oliver Mu

Peter Tweedie (left) and Alasdair Cummings

The Herald has published a full obituary for Sheriff Brian Donald, who passed away on April 28 at the age of 72. Sheriff Donald played a key role in the inquiry into allegations of child abuse on Orkney in the 1990s and was a well known and popular figure in Scottish legal circles.

Eric McQueen Earlier this year, in a speech to the Council of the Law Society of Scotland, Lord Carloway, the Lord President, discussed a five-year redesign of the court room to reflect the 21st century. In his speech, he heralded the development by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) o

Brian Inkster Brian Inkster discusses the implications of Holyrood's new make-up for crofting law, asking whether it is time crofting had a dedicated voice in the Parliament.

Jim Warnock Davidson Chalmers has announced the appointment of commercial property specialist Jim Warnock as a consultant as well as two promotions.

Greg Peebles

Uisdean Vass The UK oil and gas industry is on the verge of one of the most fundamental changes in its history when the Energy Bill receives Royal Assent, according to an oil and gas specialist at Bond Dickinson LLP.