News

Up to £2.23 million in funding is being made available to third sector organisations providing counselling, peer support and practical support to adult victims of childhood abuse. Support groups can now apply for the latest round of grants from the Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support (SOCAS)

A health board has incurred a fine of £220,000 for safety breaches after two patients died after falling from hospital windows in separate incidents, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said. NHS Lothian was given the penalty following the deaths of two men, aged 55 and 79, who were pati

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill has been passed by Holyrood. The bill includes a range of measures that will help tackle raptor persecution, and ensure that the management of species on grouse moors is done so sustainably and with animal welfare as a priority.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Israeli limits on Gaza aid may be ‘war crime’, UN warns

Following the success of last year's series, the Edinburgh Sheriff Court Spring Talk Series has returned. The talks will cover the same material as last year’s but will allow people who could not attend the 2023 series to attend this year.

A new consultation seeks views on a considerable increase in court fees from November this year. Court fees are already due to rise by two per cent from the beginning of next month.

A police department has begun issuing photos of suspects with Lego heads superimposed on their bodies to comply with a new privacy law. Since the start of the year, California law has prevented police from sharing photos of individuals accused of non-violent crimes, KRCR-TV reports.

A company accountant jailed for defrauding thousands of pounds from his employers has been ordered to hand over £77,000 under proceeds of crime legislation. John Brown, 61, of Cumbernauld, was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment in March 2023 for defrauding £275,000 from Farmfoods

The 2019 Parliament has exposed systematic weaknesses in the UK constitution, according to members of the United Kingdom Constitution Monitoring Group (UKCMG).

Martin Burns has joined Inksters Solicitors. Mr Burns has over 30 years’ experience as a solicitor. For 15 of those years he was a sole practitioner at the Bathgate Family Law Practice.

A leaked draft of Saudi Arabia's first written penal code has been condemned by human rights campaigners as contravening international law and codifying existing repressive practices into written law. A 66-page report published by Amnesty International provides a detailed analysis of the leaked draf

The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has condemned the public executions by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Three people were executed by gunfire in two sports stadiums in the presence of de facto court officials and members of the public during the last week of Febr

Janie Law, one of the founding partners and latterly consultant at Family Law Matters Scotland LLP, will be leaving legal practice at the end of this month to take up the post as head of professional practice for mediation at Relationships Scotland. Ms Law holds a post-graduate diploma in counsellin

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has lodged a first notice to begin the court process for a fatal accident inquiry into the death of baby Sophia Smith. Baby Sophia died at the Royal Hospital for Children at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus, Glasgow on 11 April 201

A man who sent unsolicited photos of his erect penis to a 15-year-old girl and a woman has become the first person in England and Wales to be convicted and jailed for cyber-flashing. Cyber-flashing became a specific criminal offence in England and Wales on 31 January 2024. Similar legislation took e