News

A new law which aims to speed up the process of “getting the deal in writing” and bring benefits to businesses in Scotland, has been passed by the Scottish parliament. Speaking after the stage 3 debate on the Legal Writings (Counterparts and Delivery) (Scotland) Bill energy secretary Fergus Ewin

Pressure is mounting on Scottish ministers to scrap a law meant to give patients a legal guarantee of speedy NHS treatment following news it has been flouted in a significant number of cases. The Treatment of Time Guarantee came into force in 2012 as part of the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011, w

The owner of a fire-damaged church whose claim on an insurance policy was repudiated by insurers has had a counterclaim for indemnification for losses arising from the blaze dismissed by a judge in the Court of Session. Lord Boyd of Duncansby (pictured) heard that in January 1998 the defender Lady I

Ernie Boath

A judge in the Court of Appeal has told the former wife of a millionaire horse surgeon to find a job and that she has no right to expect “an income for life” at the expense of her ex-husband. Lord Justice Pitchford’s (pictured) decision may affect how former partners of wealthy spouses are tre

The Scottish Legal News Annual Review 2015 contains an excellent family law section. Linda Walker of Balfour Manson asks: “Are the Scots a tight-fisted bunch when it comes to divorce?”.

Mike Dailly offers the view that the insolvency industry in Scotland often preys on the misery of the vulnerable. Not every business does badly in a recession. Some do very well indeed. The following case is fairly typical. It illustrates something worryingly wrong and unfair at the heart of the ins

A new Scottish government consultation invites views on the fees charged by the Court of Session,Accountant of Court, Sheriff & Justice of the Peace Courts, High Court, Office of the Public Guardian, Personal Injury Court and the Sheriff Appeal Court. The level of fees charged by the courts and

Joseph Beltrami, founder of Beltrami & Company passed away last night. Beltrami & Company was founded in 1958 by Mr Beltrami.

A woman who was jailed for a minimum of 20 years after being found guilty of murdering a vulnerable neighbour has had an appeal against the sentence imposed refused. The main ground of appeal concerned the appellant’s medical and mental condition and the fact that she had undergone gender reassign

A specialist crime unit to deal with food fraud is to be established in Scotland and will involve organisations including Police Scotland, the UK Border Agency, HMRC as well as local authorities. The new crime unit is expected to be created after Food Standards Scotland (FSS) takes over from the UK-

A public information campaign to tackle child sexual exploitation is being launched by the Scottish government later this year. Children’s charities, police and young people are being consulted on the shape of the campaign to ensure it reaches those who are at risk of exploitation and makes a real

The amount of heroin discovered being smuggled into Perth Prison has risen by 500 per cent in the past year. Heroin seized by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) rose from 1.6 grams in 2013/14 to 9.5 grams in 2014/15.

Gordon Lindhorst (left) and Prime Minister David Cameron