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A bill that would recognise certain digital assets as property in the eyes of the law has been supported by a Holyrood committee.  In a report out today, the Economy and Fair Work committee recommends the Scottish Parliament agrees the general principles of the Digital Assets (Scotland) Bill. T

Our weekly round-up of human rights stories from around the world. ‘Shoot to Kill’: Accounts of Brutal Crackdown Emerge From Iran

MFMac is strengthening its licensing team with the arrival of director Lynn Simpson. Ms Simpson joins from TLT LLP and brings specialism across the full range of licensable activities, such as alcohol, short-term letting, and gambling licence applications. With 17 years’ experience advising re

Severe overcrowding, resource constraints and workforce pressures are exacerbating issues related to substance misuse in Scotland’s prisons, say the Criminal Justice Committee. The committee’s inquiry looked at how substances enter Scotland’s prison estate, the impact of substances

A high-tech facial recognition system introduced by the mayor of São Paulo has led to his own sister's identification and arrest for an alleged crime. The introduction of the "Smart Sampa" system was one of the key policy achievements of Ricardo Nunes' administration, which has run the city s

The Law Society of Scotland has announced that Sarah Drummond is being appointed the organisation’s first ever general counsel. Sarah Drummond has been appointed as general counsel of the Law Society of Scotland.

Two former nuns and a retired support worker have been convicted of abusing vulnerable young people at children’s homes more than 40 years ago. Carol Buirds, 75, Eileen McElhinney, 78, and Dorothy Kane, 68, were found guilty of subjecting multiple victims to cruel and unnatural treatment betwe

Changes to improve, simplify and clarify the legislative framework for the children’s care system to benefit children in care, their families and the workforce that support them will be considered by an independent, expert-led review. The review, to be led by Professor Kenneth Norrie, a leadin

Holyrood has approved government legislation which will help ensure EURO 2028 in Scotland is "fair and affordable" for supporters and businesses. The UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill aims to safeguard against touts and preventing EURO 2028 tickets being sold above face value or for profit

Italy's most famous social media influencer has been acquitted in a fraud trial relating to a Christmas cake and Easter egg scandal. Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence for Chiara Ferragni, who has more than 28 million followers on Instagram, following "pandorogate".

Freeths has provided legal advice to Wattstor on a new debt financing of up to £50 million from Aldermore Bank to support the growth of its Price Protect project portfolio. Wattstor is an energy company that provides commercial and industrial customers with low-cost renewable electricity. The

The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) has proposed a 12.5 per cent rise to the general levy, which it argues is needed due to rising complaint numbers and the implementation of new legislation. In its budget for 2026-27, its anticipated expenditure is £5,990,482 (up from the previous

Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM) has strengthened its Inverness office with two experienced solicitors returning after two years. The firm welcomes back senior associate Alison Reid and legal director Yasmin Myles as they return to WJM.

A retired judge has made a list of recommendations to repair Scotland's broken fatal accident inquiry (FAI) system. Sheriff Principal Abercrombie made 34 recommendations in a new report, which describes the "current intolerable delays" of FAIs as the "collective failing" of disparate parts of the sy

The use of community payback orders (CPOs) by Scottish courts rose by nine per cent last year, according to new figures. Scottish government statistics show that 16,500 CPOs were commenced in 2024-25, up from 15,114 the previous year.