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A faulty computer system has potentially let hundreds of criminals out of prison erroneously. Justice Secretary Keith Brown revealed at Holyrood yesterday that an IT blunder in a vital risk assessment system has meant that the records of hundreds of prisoners were wrongly marked with the wrong risk.

New legislation to amend the system through which transgender people can gain legal recognition has been published. The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill will amend the Gender Recognition Act 2004 to introduce new criteria for applicants who wish to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (G

France’s Court of Cassation has upheld a ban on advocates wearing religious symbols with their robes in courtrooms. In June 2019, the Lille Bar Council told its members they would not be permitted to wear “decorations or signs” displaying “religious, philosophical, community

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Bachelet leads calls for ceasefire in Ukraine during urgent debate at UN rights council

Paul Bonner Hughes has become a full tenant of 3 Verulam Buildings (3VB). He brings a wealth of experience in litigation and arbitration to the bar, having previously practised as a litigation attorney with Davis Polk & Wardwell and Quinn Emanuel in New York and more recently as a solicitor with

Evidence led trials in Scotland decreased by 15 per cent to 1,716 in Q3 2021/22 compared to Q2, new figures show. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) quarterly statistical bulletin contains figures on activity in all High, Sheriff, Justice of the Peace and criminal appeal courts with na

A free service to connect Ukrainians in need of UK immigration advice with a network of volunteer lawyers – the Ukraine Advice Project UK – has been established. John Vassiliou, a senior associate at Shepherd and Wedderburn, is one of the immigration lawyers involved.

A driver who hit and killed a pedestrian while fleeing police has been jailed for eight years. Shaun Rimmer was speeding along Great Northern Road in Aberdeen on 16 August 2021 when he hit Simon Musabayana before driving off.

A sheriff conducting a fatal accident inquiry into the deaths of three fishermen who died after their lifeboat failed to inflate has concluded that it was not possible to determine the cause of the flooding that caused their vessel to sink, but that failures by the vessel’s owners and the comp

The Scottish legal sector must be alert to the implications of the current crisis and has a shared responsibility to comply with UK government sanctions and present a united front against Russia’s violations of international law. Diane McGiffen, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland,

People who antagonise alligators will face tougher penalties under a new law. The South Carolina House of Representatives has passed a bill to raise penalties for those who also try to feed the animals.

With the Scottish and UK governments having relaxed their “work from home wherever possible” message, it begs the question of what the return to the office will look like for many, writes Laura McClinton. We have previously written about the likelihood of flexible working requests.

UNESCO's director-general has called for Ukraine's cultural heritage to be protected in the wake of Russia's invasion of the country. Audrey Azoulay said the cultural heritage of Ukraine "includes its seven world heritage sites – notably located in Lviv and Kyiv; the cities of Odessa and Khark

Under-18s should not be sent to jail, Scotland's chief inspector of prisons has said. Wendy Sinclair Gieben has written to ministers calling for new laws to end imprisonment of 16 and 17-year-olds by the end of March.

Human rights groups have expressed concern over the consultation process for the draft revised Code of Practice to be issued pursuant to the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021 – also known as the Spy Cops Bill. JUSTICE’s chief executive, Fiona Rutherford and Ha