News

Eight in 10 Crown Court hearings suffered disruption yesterday as criminal barristers began their first day of strike action over legal aid pay. The leaders of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) said that at least six murder trials at the Old Bailey had been delayed due to the strike, which will run

A castle near Helensburgh which, for 25 years, has been at the centre of a protracted legal battle over a £230 debt has been put up for sale for nearly £1.3 million. Knockderry Castle's former owner, Marian van Overwaele, was made bankrupt in 2000 after her repeated refusals to pay the &

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) relied on the wrong legal basis to disclose motorists' personal data to private car parking companies seeking to recover unpaid parking charges, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has ruled. In a six-page opinion published this month, the priva

A luxurious St Andrews property worth £3 million has been listed for sale just in time for the start of the Golf Open, which makes a return to the Old Course for its 150th anniversary.

The Lord President has appointed Sheriff Adrian Cottam as the next deputy director of the Judicial Institute for Scotland. Sheriff Cottam will take up the post on 1 September 2022 for a period of three years. Sheriff Cottam is a graduate of Dundee University. He joined the Crown Office and Procurato

Twenty-eight new members have been admitted to the Faculty of Advocates during calling ceremonies held this week. The ceremonies were split over two days to accommodate the number of intrants – the second largest group to date.

Local authorities now have the power to run their own bus services, the Scottish government has confirmed. Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said that the powers, obtained through the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, would “revitalise” bus services.

Criminal barristers across England and Wales have begun strike action in protest over inadequate legal aid fees. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) refused the offer of a 15 per cent uplift in fees, saying it was insufficient in the wake of deep cuts to the legal aid budget and pointed out that it w

Two men have been given community payback orders (CPO) for illegal metal detecting, damaging a historic monument and removing an artefact. Metal detectorists Andrejs Grisulis, 35 and Matthew Madden, 55 had previously pled guilty to heritage offences at Dunoon Sheriff Court.

An English Family Court judge has granted permission for a dual UK-US citizen to relocate with her two young children, both of whom had heart conditions, to Boston following her separation from her husband. Applicant TR and respondent JM had two daughters together, aged six and four, and had lived t

Traditional partnerships are waning as figures show most law firms have adopted limited company structures for tax purposes, The Times reports. Research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) indicates that 53 per cent of firms south of the border are limited companies – an increase of a

Three new advocates have been received into the ranks of Optimum Advocates. After the rigour of the examinations and practical training, the stable has welcomed James McCrone, Lynsey Morgan and Alistair Sloan.

Westwater Advocates welcomed Duncan Milne and Michael A S Briggs to the stable today after they called to the bar. Prior to calling, Mr Milne was a solicitor with Blackadders Solicitors, specialising in employment law. During his devilling year he gained valuable experience in commercial and profess

Drugs policy minister Angela Constance has said progress being made on the implementation of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards is “neither good enough nor quick enough”. MAT standards ensure safe, accessible and consistently high-quality treatment for drug users to help reduc

Levy & McRae is welcoming lawyers from around the globe to its international conference from 24-26 June. Delegates have travelled from the US, South Africa and mainland Europe, among other places. They are members of Legal Netlink Alliance, an international body of lawyers.