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Sean White was an instructing solicitor in one of the first virtual appeal hearings before the Inner House of the Court of Session and in the first virtual Court of Session commercial proof. Here he discusses his experiences of the virtual courtroom so far. The Inner House hearing

Great client communications can help strengthen solicitor-client relationships and minimise complaints. That’s the idea behind this year’s Innovation Cup winning entry. The winner of this year’s competition is Emily Campbell, a trainee solicitor at BTO Solicitors. Ms Campbell impre

A routine Friday morning turned “surreal” for members of Faculty and staff when the Dalai Lama paid an unannounced visit. On 22 June, 2012, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism was on a UK tour, and had engagements in the Signet Library and the National Library of Scotland in Edinbur

The prime minister of Bulgaria, Boïko Borissov, has been fined for entering a church without a mask. Having fallen foul of rules introduced by his own government, Borissov and his entourage face fines of as much as €150.

The introduction of Phase 2 of Scotland's exit from the crisis was welcomed by many. A notable exception, however, was a large number of hospitality businesses, who had been gearing up to re-open outdoor spaces and start to welcome customers back, says Stephen McGowan. Those hopes were dashed when F

The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary has quashed a verdict of guilty of culpable homicide returned against a co-accused in a murder case, replacing it with a verdict of guilty of assault. Weir MacKay was originally tried for murder along with co-accused Alan Doherty, who w

Nine new members have been admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in a second – and hopefully, last – calling ceremony under physical distancing.

The Civil Justice Committee of the Law Society of Scotland has called on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) to urgently review a decision to refuse paper-based simple procedure actions. SCTS has confirmed to the Law Society that, except in exceptional circumstances, simp

The test for standing in judicial review cases brought on ECHR grounds should be that of 'sufficient interest', a new briefing by the Human Rights Consortium Scotland argues. Chris McCorkindale and Douglas Jack from Strathclyde University were commissioned by the consortium to produce a researc

A draft law which would increase the penalties for dog-owners whose pets chase, attack or kill farmed animals is to be considered by a Holyrood committee. The Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has issued a call for views on the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, which

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is set to speed up the global transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, according to a leading industry legal expert. Norman Wisely, the Aberdeen managing partner at CMS, says many of the forthcoming post-pandemic economic stimulus packages about to b

The WAG wars continue as Rebekah Vardy files an action for defamation in the High Court of England & Wales against Colleen Rooney, but how would her action fare in Scotland? Scott Clair tells all. Celebrity watchers took a sharp intake of breath last October in what has been described by some pu

Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP has unveiled a new look brand identity that underlines its commitment to delivering a quality service for clients in the face of the current pandemic. Fraser Gillies, managing partner at WJM, said: “Our brand purpose is to do the right thing, make a differe

New Nightingale-style courts will be opened to deal with the backlog of more than half a million criminal cases that have built up during the pandemic, The Times reports. Ten sites have been identified by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), amongst them town halls and university lecture theatres, wh

The Citizens Rights Project has announced a further free webinar in its series of events on EU citizens’ rights in Scotland. This webinar, on Thursday 2 July, will look at what rights EU citizens now have to access local government services in Scotland. The topics to be covered are: