News

Irwin Mitchell has announced it will double paternity leave and introduce a number of other changes aimed at supporting staff with families. The new changes, effective immediately, will allow staff to take four weeks of paid paternity leave, regardless of position in the firm or length of service.

Nearly 100 prisoners in HMP Perth have tested positive for Covid-19 in a significant outbreak, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) announced over the weekend. Prison bosses said there were 97 confirmed cases on Friday, of which a "significant number" are asymptomatic positives.

Gilson Gray Financial Management (GGFM), the wealth management wing of law firm Gilson Gray, has acquired Glasgow-based financial services provider Westbourne Wealth Management, specialists in advising business owners and entrepreneurs, for an undisclosed sum. As part of the takeover, Richard Smith,

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is to be given new powers to fine companies that rip off customers, make misleading claims, or have unfair terms and conditions. It is expected that Kwasi Kwarteng, business secretary, will announce the proposals next week to strengthen the CMA's powers po

Michael Gove will be questioned by peers tomorrow as part of an inquiry into the future governance of the UK, exploring topics such as intergovernmental relations, promoting the Union across Government and funding arrangements. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Of

More than one in four businesses that deferred tax payments during the initial lockdown last year still owe HMRC billions of pounds. A total of 156,500 out of 590,000 businesses that utilised Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s VAT deferral between March and June have failed to make contact with HMRC to

Human rights lawyers are among tens of thousands of people whose phones were allegedly targeted with spyware made by an Israeli company and sold to law enforcement agencies worldwide, according to a major investigation. Dozens of journalists co-ordinated by Forbidden Stories with technical support f

A Glasgow police officer who called for backup because she was being pursued by a "drone" was left red-faced after colleagues pointed out it was the planet Jupiter. The officer, a rookie in her first two years of service, phoned 101 to report a drone following her up the M8 on the way home shortly a

Three police officers have successfully challenged the instigation and form of misconduct proceedings brought against them by Police Scotland in judicial review proceedings before the Outer House of the Court of Session. The petitioners, all still currently serving police officers, argued

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has imposed fines totalling over £260 million for competition law breaches in relation to the supply of hydrocortisone tablets. The fines are the result of a CMA investigation into the conduct of several pharmaceutical firms which found that Aud

Susannah Donaldson considers the impact of the pandemic on gender pay gap figures reported by large construction businesses. The Covid-19 pandemic has somewhat skewed gender pay gap (GPG) figures reported by large construction businesses for the year 2020-21, with reductions in allowances, and

Solicitor Graham Fordyce calls for help over an antiquated law meaning his client cannot access funds due to him. My client raised an action of division or sale in 2018. The property was eventually sold in November last year and in terms of the ordinary cause rules, the net proceeds were consig

The UK government will undermine devolution if they establish freeports in Scotland and Wales without reaching agreement with devolved governments, according to Scottish and Welsh ministers. The devolved governments said that while they were committed to working with the UK government, UK ministers

The Faculty of Advocates has awarded nine intrants scholarships to assist them financially when devilling commences next year. Ruth Crawford QC, treasurer of Faculty, who chairs the Faculty’s Scholarship Committee, said: “The Faculty is delighted to be in a position to facilitate ac

A new ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) would allow employers to ban the wearing of visible symbols of religious or political belief, such as headscarves. The court stipulated that such a ban would need to be justified by the employer's genuine need to present a n