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The Crown Office has lodged a first notice with the Sheriff Court to begin the court process for the fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the deaths of Lee McKinsley and Barry Watson.  Both men died while in legal custody at HMP Barlinnie during December 2020. 

A life-size hologram of a police officer in a central Seoul park has been linked to a 22 per cent drop in crime since its installation last October. The 3D projection, on display nightly between 7pm and 10pm in Jeo-dong Park, appears every two minutes to warn: “In case of an emergency, the pol

The Femicide Census has identified 122 women who were killed by men in the UK in 2022. Sixty-two women were killed by a current or former partner. More women were killed by their son than by a stranger. The vast majority of women were killed in their own home. Evidence of gratuitous violence was fou

Police have launched legal proceedings against the Sheku Bayoh inquiry in a dispute over the impartiality of its chair, Lord Bracadale. The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank-and-file officers, has sought a judicial review of Lord Bracadale’s role, claiming private meeting

Casting has been announced for new BBC legal drama Counsels, with filming now underway in Glasgow. A Balloon Entertainment production, the series is co-created by Scottish writers Bryan Elsley (The Crow Road, Skins) and BBC Writers’ Drama Room graduate Gillian McCormack. 

A 17th-century painting stolen by the Nazis from a Dutch Jewish art collector briefly resurfaced this week in photographs of a house for sale in Argentina – a Nazi haven – before disappearing once again. The work, thought to be Portrait of a Lady by Italian baroque painter Giuseppe Ghisl

Prosecutors are investigating the death of a young woman seven years after she contracted a hospital-acquired infection while undergoing treatment as a teenager. Molly Cuddihy, 23, died on Tuesday at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow. She had previously described to the Scott

The Supreme Court held the inaugural meeting of the UK Association of Black Judges on July 1. Described as a “foundation of change for those who will come after”, the event was attended by Lady Simler, Lord Lloyd-Jones, Lord Sales, Lord Richards, Lord Stevens and the court’s f

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. The Trump administration is reversing long-established US human rights discourse

Family-owned businesses in Scotland face increased challenges in the coming months, as the clock ticks down to "seismic" tax changes in April 2026. According to figures from BDO LLP, more than three quarters of Scottish businesses (78 per cent) say they will be impacted by changes to Business Relief

Women and girls will have greater protection against "hate crimes" under plans being consulted upon by the Scottish government. Draft regulations have been laid in Parliament to add ‘sex’ as a characteristic to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 despite the fact thi

The Scottish government faces the prospect of a legal challenge if the proposed assisted suicide bill going through Holyrood is approved by MSPs. That is the opinion of a barrister who believes the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, promoted as a members’ bill by Lib Dem

The president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been urged to investigate bizarre remarks about Israel attributed by a newspaper to the court's vice-president. Ugandan judge Julia Sebutinde, who has served on the court since 2012 and as vice-president since 2024, is alleged to have spo

Solicitor firms across the UK are being invited to join the 2025 Will Aid campaign, with two new charity partners announced for this year’s fundraising initiative. Shelter and Crisis are set to benefit from this year’s scheme, now in its 37th year, and are appealing to solicitors to volu

Rights and equalities groups have condemned Police Scotland’s announcement that it will continue work to introduce live facial recognition technology, warning of “racial injustice, creeping surveillance and democratic erosion”.  Fourteen rights and racial justice organisations