News

The Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain KC, has welcomed a review of diversion from prosecution in Scotland which has concluded the practice is working well and developing in a positive direction. Diversion from prosecution is one of a range of community justice interventions available to the Crown Office a

Juries in England and Wales are more likely to convict than acquit a defendant of rape, and this has been the case for at least 15 years, according to a large-scale analysis of all jury verdicts by University College London’s Professor Cheryl Thomas. The analysis found that the jury conviction

A rare book on chess which was stolen from a school library nearly 70 years ago has been anonymously returned with £50 and an apology. The fourth edition copy of Rev E E Cunnington's The Modern Chess Primer was recently returned to Elgin Academy in the north of Scotland, The Herald reports.

Angela Robertson discusses the case of Alan King v Black Horse Limited and Park’s (Ayr) Limited. The Sheriff Appeal Court in Edinburgh has recently (January 2023) decided an appeal on whether a hirer under a hire purchase agreement is entitled to rely upon their rejection of a motor vehic

The sale of peat is set to be banned in Scotland, as part of wider plans to protect peatlands and reduce carbon emissions. As most extracted peat is used for horticulture, the Scottish government is looking for views from gardeners and commercial growers.

Helen Dale has written about the UK's latest constitutional furore and Nicola Sturgeon's subsequent resignation in a piece for Law and Liberty. Ms Dale, who has law degrees from Oxford and Edinburgh, writes: "A tongue-tied Sturgeon responded—to the best of her ability—by making the tradi

Scotland’s mid-market businesses attracted a record amount of private equity during 2022, despite investment dipping across the rest of the UK, according to new analysis by KPMG UK. Over the course of the year 51 deals involving Scottish firms were completed, worth £3.5bn, reflecting a y

A Sheriff Principal has ruled that it is possible to appeal against a refusal to grant an application for recall in simple procedure actions after the issue was raised in an action by a couple against a plasterer for allegedly defective work. Appellant David Bell argued that the sheriff had erred in

A lawyer is being sued by her former employer after allegedly gambling away an incredible $10 million of its money in Las Vegas in just six months. California-based LDR International Limited is suing Sara Jacqueline King for more than $10.2 million (around €9.5 million) for alleged breach of wr

Scotland’s business resilience organisation has changed its name to reflect a rising national threat from cyber crime and fraud. The Scottish Business Resilience Centre, the not-for-profit dedicated to helping educate and support Scottish organisations to avoid the fallout from cyber crime, wi

Hodge Solicitors LLP of Blairgowrie and Watson + Lyall Bowie in Coupar Angus have merged.

The aim of LGBT+ History Month 2023’s theme, ‘Behind the Lens’, is to shine a light on and celebrate the contribution of members of the LGBT+ Community to television, cinema and film. Throughout the month, members of Shepherd and Wedderburn’s LGBTA+ Focus Group will produce a

The 14th annual Gerald Gordon Seminar on Criminal Law will be held at the University of Glasgow on Tuesday 13 June 2023. Further details, including a list of the papers which will be presented at this year's seminar, are available here.

The latest Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) employment trends survey revealed three-quarters of UK business are struck by labour shortages and industries across the UK have reported significant issues with recruitment. Exacerbated by Brexit, the end of free movement and the impact of

Judges in Scotland number alongside more than 11,000 south of the border who will lose pension benefits worth £3.5 billion at the end of this year if the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill passes. The bill, due to be scrutinised in the Lords next week, will revoke almost all law deri