News

Two men who were sentenced to varying periods of imprisonment for spitting at police officers during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic have had their sentenced reduced by the Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary. Gordon Dewar and Barry McLean both pled guilty to assault

A survey of Scottish solicitors has found that more than three-quarters think aspects of remote civil court work should continue after the pandemic. Findings from the Law Society of Scotland survey of 448 civil court practitioners have indicated that most think remote hearings work well for procedur

John Bett, partner and head of dispute resolution and litigation at Lindsays, details why ignoring furlough mistakes could be costly for businesses. Mistakes happen in life and business. The important thing is that we act upon them and try to make the error good as soon as we realise.

Young people need additional support and protection in the criminal justice system because they are more susceptible to pleading guilty when innocent, a new study argues.   The study says differences in children’s brains, which affect their sensitivity to pressure and rewards, and di

Legislation to protect former British soldiers from prosecution for killings in Northern Ireland during the Troubles will be brought forward following the collapse of a trial in Belfast, according to reports. Two former members of the British Army's Parachute Regiment, known only as Soldier A and So

The European Commission has filled a post promoting religious freedom that has lain vacant for two years. Christos Stylianides has been appointed special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU.

Burges Salmon is celebrating the continued growth and success of its Scottish practice, which launched in Edinburgh in May 2019. The appointment of Nigel Watson as head of employee incentives in January this year brought the number of Burges Salmon partners in the capital to six.

Legislation banning the sale of alcoholic drinks for less than 10c per gram of alcohol will be brought into effect in Ireland this year. Minimum unit pricing (MUP), as provided for in section 11 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, aims to reduce alcohol consumption by setting a floor price bene

Douglas J. Cusine, former sheriff and member of Quis, argues that responsibility for FAIs should be taken away from the Crown Office. When the Scottish Parliament reconvenes, there would be merit in looking very closely at the delays in holding fatal accident inquiries (FAIs), the responsibility for

A state senator in Ohio appeared in a Zoom meeting with a fake background while driving – on the same day a distracted driving bill was introduced. Andrew Brenner used a virtual home office background, but his seatbelt was still visible in his video feed.

An Edinburgh pensioner who tripped over a ramp outside a supermarket has succeeded in obtaining over £11,000 in damages after a sheriff in the All-Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court found that the supermarket acted contrary to the Occupiers’ Liability (Scotland) Act 19

Edinburgh-based Dentons partner Brian Moore has been named as divisional leader for corporate at the firm, covering the practice’s operations across the UK and Ireland. Mr Moore will lead a team of 150 lawyers, including 50 in Scotland, which will handle disciplines including competition, corp

TLT has announced the promotion of five lawyers to partner, including Glasgow-based financial services disputes lawyer Louise Chopra, effective 1 May 2021. Ms Chopra specialises in complex banking disputes and commercial contractual disputes. In line with the firm’s commitment to improving gen

The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) today issued a set of minimum requirements for conditions of detention in European prisons, concerned by the negative effects of pre-existing austerity measures in certain states, which could be exacerbated by the Covid-19 p

House prices in Aberdeen are up 5.4 per cent over last year, new figures show.