News

A man found guilty of rape and child sex offences who claimed that a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) made in advance of his release from prison was null and void because it failed to specify a period for which it would apply has had an appeal against his conviction for breaching the order di

The definition of what constitutes a defamatory statement is to be set out in Scots law for the first time under draft legislation published today. The Defamation and Malicious Publication Bill would simplify and modernise defamation law and aims to ensure that a better balance is struck between pro

Problems could be created by changing the way victim statements are presented in court, the Faculty of Advocates has cautioned. Currently, written statements are provided to judges and sheriffs, but the Scottish Government is asking whether other means should be considered, such as victims reading t

Marlowe plc, a specialist services group focused on developing companies which assure regulatory compliance and safety, has announced its acquisition of Glasgow-based Law At Work (Holdings) Limited, for an initial consideration of £6.3 million. Established in 2001, LAW is a national provider o

The number of business-related laws passed by Westminster every year has halved since the Brexit referendum, according to new research. Researchers at Thomson Reuters have found that MPs approved 685 laws affecting business in the year to the end of September 2018, 21 per cent down on the previous y

Susanne Tanner QC (Scot) has joined Crown Office Chambers in London as a door tenant. Ms Tanner is a skilled litigator who specialises in the fields of personal injury, clinical negligence, criminal regulatory work, health and safety matters, inquests, public inquiries and arbitration.

Scottish legal services firm Vialex is launching a venture in London to build on its growing client base in the south of England. The Edinburgh-based practice has established a relationship with the Innovation Warehouse in Smithfield, central London, which is now home to some of the city’s fas

Colin Soulsby has joined Aberdein Considine's Lender Services Practice Group (LSPG). Mr Soulsby has left his senior role with the Royal Bank of Scotland to join the firm in a newly-created relationship management role.

Laura Paton has been appointed the new HM Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland. Ms Paton has significant inspection experience gained both in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. She has been a lead inspector within HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland since 2013.

SKO is one of the first of a dozen or so firms in Scotland to go live with a new online tool, designed specifically for Scots family law matters. The tool is already being used by over 50 firms south of the border and another 150 in Australia and New Zealand, writes Rachael Kelsey. Settify was

Taking gender concerns seriously can be a commercial boon to companies, explains Tamar Tammes. The old saying goes that money talks. If that’s true, then more businesses need to listen to what it’s saying about who spends it.

The University of Aberdeen is conducting a research project on the reform of the UK laws on surrogacy and is looking for legal practitioners with experience and/or interest in surrogacy to take part. The project is funded by the Clark Foundation for Legal Education and the key objective is to help t

The Joint Standing Committee for Legal Education in Scotland (JSC) is looking for a lay representative. The JSC is a consultative body comprised of representatives drawn from the main branches of the legal profession and the universities, the aims and purposes of which are to act as a facilitator pr

British judges could be invited to sit on a "special constitutional court" in a united Ireland, a former Chief Justice of Ireland has said. Mr Justice John L. Murray, who served as Chief Justice of Ireland from 2004 to 2011, made the remarks in a panel discussion hosted by the Hibernian Law Journal.

A woman who was fined for refusing to hold the handrail on an escalator has been awarded over £11,500 in damages after a ten-year legal battle. Bela Kosoian was told by a police officer in a Quebec metro station to respect a sign saying "hold the handrail", but refused and subsequently decline