News

The Scottish government has published new legislation that aims to ensure children’s best interests are at the centre of every family law case and that children’s views are heard in court. The Children (Scotland) Bill includes regulation of child contact centres to ensure they are safe p

Almost half of people who serve on the boards of public bodies in Scotland said they were reluctant to complain about bullying and harassment, a survey has found. The poll of 299 people, included in the Standards Commission for Scotland's annual report, found that there was a disinclinatio

Gillespie Macandrew has welcomed Clyde & Co's private client team to the firm following a transfer agreement. Led by partner Nikki Dundas, the Clyde & Co team comprises two associates, Judith Clark and Doran Mitchell; executry manager, Susan Baxter; and PA, Donna Galloway.

The Scottish government has launched a consultation on implementing section 11 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015, which supports the introduction of independent child trafficking guardians. Child law expert Nicola Hogg explains the details.  The act was passed in Oct

Fraser Mitchell explains the details of the infrastructure levy regulations in Scotland's new planning legislation. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 has arrived following the most recent review of the Scottish planning system. In amongst significant changes to development planning and modest changes

Paul Craig, professor of English law at St John's College, Oxford and an authority on administrative and EU law, writes about important issues of constitutional principle and law raised by the prospect of prorogation as well as those concerning fact and causation. Constitutional principle and law

A lawyer who came to Britain as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo and made her home in Scotland has been honoured by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). A portrait of Debora Kayembe, who came to the capital in 2011, has been hung in the RSE building on George Street, the Edinbur

Wright Johnston & Mackenzie LLP's new starts are pictured above: Scott Paterson, Iona Whyte, Monika Koczwara, Marion MacDonald, Susannah Green and Hannah McGurk.

Honey bees could be deployed to detect drugs and explosives as early as five years from now, according to a researcher at the University of St Andrews. Senior researcher Ross Gillanders is training bees to search for land mines by tricking the bees into thinking they smell like nectar, The Time

The Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC's application to intervene in the prorogation case at the Court of Session today has been accepted. Mr Wolffe has lodged applications to intervene in two legal cases aimed at preventing the suspension of the UK Parliament ahead of the Brexit deadline.

A motorist accused of speeding who claimed that the notice of intended prosecution he received was “invalid” because it bore an electronic signature of the former chief constable has had his appeal dismissed. John Scrimgeour-Wedderburn challenged the competency of his proposed prose

Courts in the north and north-east face "significant" delays and increased costs as thousands of people fail to appear for court cases every year, The Press and Journal reports. Since 2015, officials have granted more than 10,000 arrest warrants to track people who have failed to appear in the dock,

Fifty-six per cent of people think sentencing in Scotland is too lenient, according to a survey published by the Scottish Sentencing Council. Ipsos MORI conducted a 15-minute telephone survey with 1,000 randomly selected adult residents in Scotland between 13 March to 7 April 2019 on behalf of the c

Victims of stalking are among those who could get the right to explain to courts how they have personally suffered as a result of crime. A new consultation asks if victims of all serious crimes - including human trafficking, domestic abuse and religiously aggravated offences - should be able to deta

Ken Gerber has joined Mitchells Roberton from Anderson Strathern as a director and partner today. Mr Gerber is a specialist in commercial property, landlord and tenant law and offers strategic advice to family businesses.