News

One of the UK government's most senior lawyers has become the latest in a line of civil servants to quit, seemingly over the government's U-turn on the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit deal. Sir Jonathan Jones QC has led the Government Legal Department (GLD) since 2014 (when it was known as TSol)

Domestic abuse charges have reached their highest figure since 2015-16, the Crown Office has revealed. The report Domestic abuse and stalking charges in Scotland 2019-20 showed that there were 30,718 charges reported in 2019-20 related to domestic abuse. This is the highest number reported since 201

Defendants in Ireland who face unreasonable delays to their criminal trials will be able to apply for compensation under planned legislation, according to reports. The European Convention on Human Rights (Amendment) Bill is currently being drafted by the Department of Justice in response to a Europe

Balfour & Manson partner Robert Holland is convinced that employment is the best practice area for a lawyer to work in because it offers what he describes as the “best combination of black-letter law with a human-interest angle”. As head of his firm’s employment practice he wou

DWF has reported a 10.9 per cent increase in net revenue to £297.2 million, up from last year's figure of £268.1 million. Earnings before taxes at the firm decreased by 21.6 per cent while profits before tax fell by 32.4 per cent.

CMS will stage a free online event with leading retail and commercial figures addressing some of the key challenges facing the high street during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Future of our High Streets is a free virtual event that will take place from 08:45 am on Thursday 17 September. You can find mo

A man has been slapped with a four-figure fine after stealing sand from a Sardinian beach. The man, who was not been named by the Italian island's authorities, was caught at the airport with a bottle containing around two kilograms of sand.

A company that benefited from unlawful tax exemptions and was ordered to pay over £1 million to HM Revenue and Customs has lost an appeal challenging a payment order made to that effect.  John Gunn and Sons Ltd argued that they should only have to pay the amount which represented the

Senators of the College of Justice have warned of inconsistency and ambiguity in proposed hate crime legislation. In a response to Holyrood's Justice Committee, judges noted that free speech provisions in clauses 11 and 12 of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill only apply

Shepherd and Wedderburn has reported two per cent turnover growth to £56.9 million in the year to April 30, 2020, with profits before partner distributions down 1.7 per cent to £22.4 million. Shepherd and Wedderburn’s clean energy group reported record revenues during the peri

New legislation which would incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots law and allow children to take public authorities to court for breaches of their rights is to be considered by a Holyrood Committee. The Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Huma

The police and courts could gain the power to remove suspected domestic abusers from victims' homes under proposed legislation. Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf announced that the Scottish government's Domestic Abuse Bill will be considered "within weeks" and if passed would let police ban suspected a

Zoe McDonnell and Julie Brodtkorb consider recent proposals to introduce longer sentences for dangerous drivers. Drivers across the UK should take note of a proposal on the sentencing of dangerous drivers who cause death discussed at the UK Parliament on 21 July 2020. Former Prime Minister Ther

Thousands of women who were executed from the 16th to 18th centuries after being accused of witchcraft have been commemorated at an event in Fife. Three plaques along the Fife trail were unveiled at the ceremony to commemorate the accused women of Culcross, Torryburn and Valleyfield.

Neilsons looks at the release of pent up demand for property in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Back in April, we reported that the local property market effectively entered a necessary “sleep mode” to protect the NHS with the pandemic at its peak. We argued against other commentators about