News

A bill intended to strengthen the fatal accident inquiry (FAI) process in Scotland has been published today. The Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Bill will set out practical measures for a system which is "effective, efficient and fair" said the Scottish government.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has been fined £54,000 following an admission of health and safety breaches that led to a firefighter’s death. Ewan Williamson died in 2009 while fighting a blaze at the Balmoral Bar in Edinburgh.

A settlement has been reached between over 4,000 female council workers and a local authority in an equal pay dispute. North Lanarkshire Council, Fox and Partners,Action 4 Equality (Scotland) Ltd and Unison have settled a second wave equal pay case against the council who owe the claimants backdated

Darina Kerr (pictured) discusses impending changes to the operation of judicial review in Scotland. Major changes to the operation of judicial review in Scotland are on the horizon. These changes have important implications for developers and funders. They will bring the procedure closer to that in

Measures to make the legislative process in Scotland more transparent have today been published by the Scottish parliament’s standards, procedures and public appointments committee. In the first major review of the legislative process since the parliament was established, the committee has called

A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) is to be held on 22 July into the road traffic incident which resulted in the deaths of six people and left ten injured in Glasgow city centre on December 22nd last year. The FAI will take place on 22 July 2015 at Glasgow Sheriff Court with a preliminary hearing on 13

A new report has argued some Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) barristers “lack flair”. The CPS Inspectorate report stated CPS advocacy standards have declined.

Two million UK citizens who work abroad may become illegal immigrants if the country leaves theEuropean Union (EU) the former attorney generalDominic Grieve (pictured) has said. In an attack on Eurosceptics in the Conservative party Mr Grieve was critical of those who want to withdraw from the EU an

A pedicab driver who successfully challenged a Scottish local authority’s refusal to grant him a rickshaw licence has seen the decision overturned after the council successfully appealed to the Inner House of the Court of Session. The council licensing committee’s decision to refuse the applicat

At the High Court in Edinburgh today, Lord Uist(pictured) sentenced Brian McGregor to a punishment part of six years in prison and imposed an order for lifelong restriction after the accused was found guilty of charges of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger to life, and robb

Scottish government plans to end the current system of automatic early release (AER) for certain types of prisoner have been supported in principle by the overwhelming majority of the parliament’s justice committee. The committee noted that the Prisoners (Control of Release) (Scotland) Bill will r

Detailed information on the scale and reach of social security benefits to be devolved to Scotland has been published. The new report gives Scottish specific statistics on each of the 11 benefits that will be controlled by theScottish parliament, such as number of claims, gender and age breakdown an

DAC Beachroft has appointed Colin Bissett (pictured) to lead its insurance-related regulatory unit in Scotland. Mr Bissett joins the firm to further develop and handle instructions from insurers and other clients in the investigation and defence of motor, health and safety and environmental prosecut

The Supreme Court has ruled the UK government’s benefit cap which restricts unemployed claimants to £500 a week in total welfare payments is lawful but that the policy is incompatible with the government's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

The jury manual which is produced by the Judicial Institute for Scotland to assist judges and sheriffs in giving directions to juries “does not remove the trial judge’s duty to tailor the charge to the specific circumstances of the case”. A judge issued the reminder as the Criminal Appeal Cour