News

Solicitors in Aberdeen have warned that there are too few of them to cover additional trial courts that are to run in an effort to address the case backlog. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has announced that additional sheriff and jury trials courts are to run in Aberdeen, Peterhead

Criminals in the north east are escaping conviction due to lengthy delays in holding trials, according to one lawyer. Ian Woodward-Nutt claimed the problem is worse at Aberdeen Sheriff Court than elsewhere in Scotland and warned the criminal justice system is verging on “collapse”.

A complaint against a sheriff who held shares in Rangers FC and who granted more than 20 warrants as part of a failed police inquiry into the club's takeover has been withdrawn due to the complainer's lack of confidence in the judiciary's ability to deal with the complaint properly. David Grier, 61,

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have revealed that dozens of drivers with 12 points or more on their record are still behind the wheel on Scotland’s roads as they called for an examination of whether persistent offenders are being properly dealt with. A freedom of information request submitted

Teams serving community payback orders (CPOs) have been making Christmas wreaths for sale to support people’s mental health over the festive season. Unpaid workers in Fife have been raising money for mental health charity the Samaritans through the sale of wreaths made from foraged local mater

A mother was denied entry to a Christmas event in New York after facial recognition technology identified her as an employee of a law firm in a legal dispute with the owner of the venue. Kelly Conlon was chaperoning a group of Girl Scouts to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at the Radio City

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill has been passed by the Scottish Parliament. The legislation aims to improve the system by which transgender people can apply for legal recognition through a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, in consultation with the chief medical officer, Police Scotland and National Records Scotland, has issued updated guidance on the reporting of Covid-19 related deaths. Having kept matters under regular review, it is no longer necessary to report to the procurator fisca

December has been a busy month for the Burness Paull Foundation, with the firm’s annual Christmas appeal raising money for food and fuel banks across Scotland. Donations totalling £4,730 were made to the Cyrenians in Aberdeen, the Trussell Trust in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the Fuel Ban

For the first time, Parole Board rules will specify the failure to disclose the location of a victim’s body as a matter which can be taken into account when deciding a person’s release from prison. The move is one of a number of planned rule changes laid before Parliament yesterday, whic

One of the parties charged with, but later acquitted of, fraud in connection with an allegedly fraudulent scheme to acquire Rangers Football Club in 2011 has lost a reclaiming motion challenging the decision of the Lord Ordinary to refuse claims for damages against the Lord Advocate and the Chief Co

Here are this year's top 10 and finallys:

The UK scheme to settle millions of EU citizens is unlawful, the High Court has ruled.

A former Argentinian police officer who tortured and killed a left-wing student during Argentina's military dictatorship in the 1970s has been sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. Mario Sandoval, 69, was convicted by a court in Buenos Aires of involvement in the 1976 kidnapping and killing of Hern&a

The failure to make full use of Scotland's only open prison has been criticised in a new report. HMP Castle Huntly, in Longforgan near Dundee, is able to house 285 inmates – but had only 100 at its last inspection.