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Balfour and Manson has appointed James Hyams as an associate. Mr Hyams, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh originally joined the firm as a trainee in August 2015. He qualified as a solicitor in 2017, training in Balfour and Manson’s commercial property, employment and private client dep

The Scottish government has been urged to do more to prevent an increase in adverts which seek sex in lieu of rent. According to surveys by Shelter and ComRes, as many as 30,000 women were propositioned with ‘sex for rent’ offers across the UK since the start of the lockdown last Ma

Take-home Naloxone will be given to people at high risk of accidental overdoses in a move designed to reduce the number of drug deaths, the Scottish government has said. This will include those who have been resuscitated by the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) following an accidental overdose. 

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published the results of its coronavirus financial resilience surveys revealing the impact of coronavirus on firms’ financial resilience. In response to the crisis, the FCA has been monitoring the effects of the economic downturn on firms’ s

The preservation of the means of knowledge among the lowest ranks is of more importance to the public than all the property of all the rich men in the country.

French police officers narrowly missed being pelted with stolen wine bottles worth hundreds of euros as they pursued thieves in a high-speed motorway chase this week. The burglars allegedly stole hundreds of bottles of Burgundy Grand Crus wines worth an estimated €350,000 from the wine cel

There cannot be many advocates who would willingly compare themselves to a notorious despot, but Black Chambers’ Tony Lenehan is one. Having replaced Ronnie Renucci QC as president of the Scottish Criminal Bar Association (SCBA) at the tail-end of last year, Mr Lenehan likens his ascension to

A UK salvaging company that retrieved 2,364 silver bars from a shipwreck in the Indian Ocean has successfully established in an English court that the Republic of South Africa did not have state immunity from an action for payment for salvage. Argentum Exploration Ltd had originally sought a de

Lawyers have strongly objected to a suggestion from the Lord President that breaches of court safety rules during the lockdown may constitute contempt of court and said any members threatened with this sanction will be offered free representation. In a message published yesterday, Lord Carloway emph

Thorntons has ushered in the new year with three promotions. Gary Mannion from the personal injury team in Dundee and Lucy Metcalf from the family law team in Edinburgh have both joined the partnership. Janice Napier has been promoted to legal director in business law within the commercial property

Roddy Harrison has joined Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP as a partner.   Mr Harrison, who is ranked Band 3 in Chambers, formerly headed up BTO Solicitors’ private client team for 16 years before becoming a partner at Dentons in 2018.

Rachael Brandon has been appointed a director at Boyd Legal. Ms Brandon, who specialises in equity release, currently manages a team of seven.

Some of the more controversial aspects of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 are to be brought into force by February 28, writes Hamish Lean. These are the long-awaited rules applying to a secure agricultural tenant’s right to relinquish their interest in the tenancy in return for compensatio

The Scotsman has published a full obituary of David Wood. "David D Wood was, until he retired due to ill health in 2000, the doyen of the solicitors practising in Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court. Highly respected in legal circles, Mr Wood was appointed to be an Honorary Sheriff in 1990 and he served with di

A tribunal is set to consider whether people outside of the UK have a right to access information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. According to ComputerWeekly, the First-Tier Tribunal will hold a preliminary two-day hearing later this month to consider six questions related to nationality,