News

Arrested protesters in Georgia are being denied their right to a lawyer and a fair trial, Amnesty International has said. For several nights now, protesters in Tbilisi have blocked key streets to oppose the government's announcement that it will not proceed with EU accession talks until 2028.

Wolves are set to have their protected status in the EU downgraded with effect from next March. A proposal to downgrade the status of wolves from "strictly protected" to "protected" has been approved by the standing committee of the Bern Convention, which governs the conservation of European wildlif

The prison population increased by six per cent in 2023-24 to 7,860 on the average day. The increase in the prison population was primarily driven by an increase in the sentenced population (+8 per cent since 2022-23).

Payments to people in receipt of benefits will be protected from inflation after the Scottish Parliament passed the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill.

A man who attempted to rape a woman and attacked another as they walked home from a university library in Dundee has been jailed for more than 10 years. Derek Lewis previously appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on 13 November where he pleaded guilty to three charges. The court heard how the 40-

The Scottish Law Commission has recommended changes to the law on damages in Scotland in a new report. According to statistics presented by the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, personal injury claims were the third most common type of civil law action in Scottish courts in 2022-23. It is therefore

A Michelin-starred chef has urged thieves who stole thousands of pies in a Christmas heist to donate them to charity. A refrigerated vehicle carrying "nearly a tonne" of pies worth around £25,000 was stolen on Sunday night before it was meant to deliver the pastries to a Christmas market in Yo

Burness Paull has strengthened its offering for clients in the energy and infrastructure sectors with the appointment of Scott Duncan as a partner in the firm’s construction and projects team. Mr Duncan is an experienced lawyer with a strong track record of acting for energy and infrastructure

The average selling price of property across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders saw a 5.3 per cent boost during September-November 2024, compared to the same time last year, taking the new average price to £286,263, new figures from ESPC show. All regions (with the exception of East

Kirkcaldy solicitor William MacGregor has joined the board of directors of Raith Rovers. Mr MacGregor, a graduate of Aberdeen University, worked at local firms in Kirkcaldy before founding his own business, MacGregor Solicitors, in 2001. He was a board member of the club in 1997 and opened the MacGr

Ampersand Advocates received two individual recognitions at the Legal 500 Scotland Awards held on 29 November in Edinburgh. This year, the stable celebrates the awards of Alan Moffat, named Clerk of the Year, and Una Doherty KC, who has been crowned Silk of the Year.

A long-awaited review of Northern Ireland's criminal legal aid system has recommended an immediate 16 per cent increase in legal aid fees. Judge Tom Burgess was appointed last year to carry out a fundamental review of the criminal legal aid system and presented his findings to the Department of Just

Russell Bradley has joined Westwater Advocates. Mr Bradley returns to full-time practice having been a fee paid employment judge in Scotland for the past four years.

A fully updated second edition of Roddy Macleod’s Contentious Executries: Commissary & Executry Litigation in Scotland is available to order now. First published by Sweet & Maxwell in 2022, the book covers a wide range of issues which arise in contested executry cases and more generall

A march will take place on Human Rights Day next Tuesday to call on the Scottish government to reintroduce the Scottish Human Rights Bill. Organisers and participants are urging the Scottish government to bring the bill back and to MSPs to pledge their commitment to the bill, prioritising it in thei