News

A group of alleged fraudsters who dressed up as cardinals in order to dupe people out of millions of euros have been caught in an undercover police operation that saw officers themselves disguised – as priests. The accused were said to have tricked victims into meetings at the pontifical Grego

A man who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering the partner of his ex-wife’s new boyfriend’s mother in 2019 has had his appeal against conviction refused by the High Court of Justiciary. Paul Smith argued that the trial judge had erred in withdrawing the defence of p

Arnot Manderson Advocates has welcomed Stephen Hughes to the stable. Mr Hughes' legal experience at the bar spans almost 25 years. He has extensive experience in criminal trials and employment law. He frequently represents national and multinational companies in employment tribunals a

Hugh Olson has been appointed director of training and education for the Faculty of Advocates. Mr Olson takes over from Neil Mackenzie QC.

Cairn Energy claims to have effectively seized Indian state-owned properties in Paris in an attempt to force the country to pay $1.7 billion awarded last year by an international tribunal in The Hague, the Financial Times reports. Its application in France is the first to succeed and the compan

Andrew Scott takes a look at the value of search orders when enforcing intellectual property rights. Most companies are now aware of the value to their business of intellectual property (IP) and the various ways in which to protect those IP assets. However, protecting the asset is only half the stor

Stephen Farrell takes a look at whether sports governance bodies are doing enough to tackle issues of diversity and inclusion. As the countdown begins for the Tokyo Olympics 2021 it has been reported that FINA, the International Swimming Association, has made a decision that could have damaging

Too many drug addicts are "cycling in and out" of prison without hope of rehabilitation or recovery, according to a UK government review. The Review of drugs part two: prevention, treatment, and recovery, by Dame Carol Black, sets out recommendations for drug treatment and recovery.

Home Secretary Priti Patel's laws to thwart asylum seekers attempts to cross the Channel were dealt a blow yesterday after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it would no longer prosecute migrants. The agreement made between prosecutors, police, Border Force, the National Crime Agency and the H

Celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti, who represented adult film star Stormy Daniels in her high-profile lawsuit against Donald Trump, has been jailed for his role in an attempted extortion scheme. Mr Avenatti was sentenced yesterday to two-and-a-half years in prison following his conviction by a New Y

A millionaire socialite is facing jail after admitting to a £1.1 million fraud over a pumpkin sculpture she never owned. German socialite Angela Gulbenkian agreed to sell the 81-kilogram pumpkin, by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, to Hong Kong art collector Mathieu Ticolat.

A Glasgow summary sheriff has refused to authorise a consultant orthopaedic surgeon as a skilled witness in an action by a man involved in a car accident against the insurer of the vehicle that hit him. Ian McKay sought to certify a Mr David Donaldson, who examined him following the accident, i

New research carried out on behalf of the Scottish Sentencing Council has found a lack of awareness over the offences created by the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 and suggests the public should be engaged on the range and scope of sexual offences. The independently conducted research

Graphic videos depicting violence are negatively affecting the mental health of juries, the Lord Justice General, Lord Carloway has warned. In an intervention recommending careful consideration of the use of such evidence, the judge said lawyers should take “great care” when deciding if

Scotland's legal system does not comply with international environmental and human rights law, according to UN findings. Article 9 of the Aarhus Convention, which the UK ratified in 2005, requires that access to review procedure over environmental matters should be fair, equitable, timely, and not p