News

Rival dynasties, councillors, bankers and union officials have been dragged into a major row over the future of a prestigious Bordeaux vineyard. The 32-strong Duffau-Lagarrosse family is selling Château Beauséjour in Saint-Émilion, which it has owned since 1847, The Times reports

A bench of five judges in the Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary has refused an appeal against conviction by a man convicted of rapes occurring eight years apart from each other in a re-affirmation of the use of the Moorov doctrine in sexual offence cases. Mark Duthie&n

Former Lord Advocate and current senator Lord Mulholland is expected to be the first witness to appear at a proof held today in David Grier's £5 million compensation case against the Lord Advocate. Mr Grier, who was unsuccessfully prosecuted for fraud for his role in the acquisition of Ra

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said it is time to consider abolishing Scotland's unique 'not proven' verdict. Ms Sturgeon said she had changed her view of the third verdict because of "mounting evidence" of a relationship between 'not proven' and low conviction rates in sexual offences cases.

A judge in the Outer House has opened the way for a criminal prosecution against the Crown Office and police over a malicious Rangers fraud probe, saying it is in the interests of justice that evidence in the case is disclosed. Lord Tyre's decision vindicates David Whitehouse's view that there shoul

The Press and Journal has published a full obituary of Sheriff Principal James Taylor, who passed away last month at the age of 70 after a long battle with prostate cancer. "Establishing his reputation as a professional capable of handling complex and long-running cases, he worked on inquiries

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has announced plans for a Victims Commissioner in Scotland and a consultation on abolishing the 'not proven' verdict. Mr Yousaf also said his party will adopt a form of the “Barnahus” model used in some Scandinavian countries' justice systems. In Scotland,

From swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us to Wills’ Trs v Cairngorm Canoeing and Sailing School Ltd – Lord Tyre's favourite of the Session Cases. Vote for your top three here. In about 1972 the instructors and pupils of the Cairngorm Canoeing and Sailing School began to venture

Prisoners on remand are pleading guilty in order to avoid spending up to two years in custody, The Times reports. A backlog of tens of thousands of cases has accumulated since the first lockdown began last March. This has led to a significant increase in the remand population.

Judges have rejected a bid by the Lockerbie bomber's family to appeal against his conviction to the Supreme Court. On 31 January 2001, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted by three judges of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103, which killed 270 people.

Pinsent Masons has announced the promotion of 19 individuals to its partnership, including two in Scotland. Edinburgh-based Ronan Lambe, a specialist in energy, renewables and clean tech, and energy and real estate lawyer Rona Kostulin, have been promoted from legal director to partner level.

A cross-justice conference held this week brought together prosecutors and defence lawyers in a bid to improve the way summary criminal cases are handled in Scottish courts. The physically distanced conference, held at the East Kilbride Remote Jury Centre, provided an opportunity for engagement betw

Last month the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service announced plans to commence a court recovery programme from September 2021, which will include the expansion of remote jury centres and a daily increase of: While planning is still at an early stage, it is proposed that, in addition to existing lo

Ledingham Chalmers has announced five promotions for staff in Aberdeen and Inverness. Three senior solicitors have been promoted to associate: Sarah McCaffery, from the litigation team in Inverness as well as Mhari Michie and Pamela Sargent, both working in commercial property in Aberdeen.

The post-lockdown house-move boom has seen Lindsays defy disruption to record a rise in the number of homes sold in the past 12 months. Sales by its residential property division rose by 4.3 per cent in the last financial year, with homes valued at a total of £177.3 million changing hands