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A rapist who abused children and young girls over the course of two decades has been jailed for 15 years. James Pollard was found guilty of nine charges on 4 September 2024 following a trial at the High Court in Inverness.

There has been a 10 per cent increase in homicides, new figures from the chief statistician show. In 2023-24, 57 victims of homicide were recorded, 10 per cent, or five victims, more than the 52 victims recorded in 2022-23.

Solicitor Aamer Anwar's firm is to no longer take on criminal legal aid cases from next month, he has announced. Mr Anwar said that he made the decision due to the "decimation" of the legal aid system in Scotland.

Dr Gavin Sullivan, reader in international human rights law at Edinburgh Law School, has been awarded almost £600,000 by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for his academic project. The UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship scheme seeks to develop the next wave of world-class research and innovation l

Iraqis are being subjected to torture and other ill-treatment as well as enforced disappearance after being arrested in Al-Jed’ah Community Rehabilitation Centre in northern Iraq, Amnesty International said in a new investigation. Amnesty documented the cases of eight people, including seven m

The Scottish Public Law Group (SPLG) is hosting an event entitled Statutory Interpretation in Public Law: Recent Developments and Challenges. Questions regarding statutory interpretation have been central to a number of recent high profile Scots public law cases, with the outcome depending on very d

A woman is suing an airline because the ice cream sandwich it served her was “dangerously cold”. In a lawsuit seen by The Independent, New Jersey woman Karla Quinonez claims that JetBlue was negligent for “serving food at a temperature below what is reasonable or safe for consumpti

Shoosmiths has added 15 new recruits to its Edinburgh and Glasgow offices over the past six months. Led by Alison Gilson, head of the Edinburgh office, three new associates have joined her corporate team. Alice Gray, Sylwia Jakuczun and Julide Cevher join the Scottish operation that UK-wide is the m

Aberdeen's housing market has shown a 1.6 per cent decline in the average property price during Q3 2024, as transactions rose 9.8 per cent for the same period, according to the Aberdeen Solicitors’ Property Centre (ASPC).

Caroline Maciver has joined CMS as partner in its Edinburgh office. Ms Maciver, who joins the firm from Burness Paull, has 20 years’ experience leading on large, complex disputes in the private and public sectors. Her practice includes advising main contractors, developers and housebuilders on

Burnett Legal Services and Peterkins have announced the merging of their legal practices. Operating primarily throughout the north east of Scotland under the name of Peterkins, the firm will offer a wide range of legal and financial services. All relevant documentation such as files, wills and title

The UK government is charging fees where there is no, or doubtful, authority to do so, according to a Lords committee. In its 4th Report of Session 2024–25, the cross-party House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee criticised poor information provided by three government departme

Burness Paull has promoted two members of its corporate tax and share incentives team. Christine Yuill is elevated to head of tax with responsibility for leading the development of the firm’s corporate tax offering.

The tenth edition of the Dundee Student Law Review has been published. Volume X commemorates the tenth anniversary of the journal and opens with a preface and acknowledgements by the project’s chair, Tom Edwards. It features the winning article of the 2023 Jonathan Leslie Memorial Essay Prize

A rapist who abused seven victims over the course of 25 years has had his prison sentence increased following a successful appeal by the Crown. Robert McGeachy, 64, was jailed for eight years in June 2024 after being found guilty of 17 charges at the High Court in Glasgow the previous month.