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Sexual crimes were seven per cent higher compared to the year ending September 2024 (increasing from 14,651 to 15,704 crimes), and 12 per cent higher compared to the year ending September 2021 (increasing from 14,052 to 15,704 crimes), new figures from Scotland’s chief statistician show. In th

Legislation to correct an error in law for owners of unoccupied properties’ liability to pay non-domestic rates has been published. The Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Act 2020 devolved to councils the power to provide discounts to owners of unoccupied properties from 1 April 2023.

Newly reopened after an award-nominated refurbishment, The Auction Rooms at 22 Queen Street provides law firms with secure, high-end offices and in-house concierge within a Grade II listed townhouse — plus outstanding client and partner meeting space in Edinburgh’s most prestigious New T

The first discretionary fatal accident inquiry (FAI) in relation to the procurator fiscal’s ongoing investigation into Covid-related deaths has commenced with the lodging of a first notice into the death of Donald Singer.  Mr Singer, 66, a crane operator working offshore on the Ninian Sou

CMS has announced the appointment of Susie Lind, one of the UK’s leading figures within the renewable energy sector. She joins as an Edinburgh-based partner within the firm’s energy and infrastructure team. Ms Lind brings more than 20 years’ experience within the sector operating i

Justice Secretary David Lammy is considering major curbs on the ancient right to be tried by a jury, with proposals to guarantee it only for defendants facing charges such as rape, murder, manslaughter or other offences meeting a public-interest threshold. A leaked internal briefing prepared by the

Landlords need to be aware of the potential future impact of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025, according to property firm DJ Alexander Ltd. The firm is concerned that many landlords may not appreciate the significance of the changes outlined in the Act, which has now received its royal assent.

World-leading security experts have been forced to re-run an election after being locked out of their own ultra-secure system. The International Association of Cryptologic Research (IACR) announced on Friday that it could not access the results of its annual committee elections.

Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, is under criminal investigation for Holocaust denial. Public prosecutors in Paris launched an investigation after Grok appeared to verify false claims made on X by a French neo-Nazi previously convicted of Holocaust denial offences.

Concentrated ownership, absentee landlords and a lack of transparency in how land is managed are some of the concerns the public has over land in Scotland according to a new report, published by the Scottish Land Commission.  Developed through the ScotLand Futures initiative, the report reflect

Survivors who escaped El Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur State have told Amnesty International how fighters with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) executed scores of unarmed men and raped dozens of women and girls as they captured the city. Amnesty International researchers interviewed survivors w

US legislation making strangulation a serious criminal offence has been linked to reduced intimate partner homicide rates, with 14 per cent fewer women killed and 27 per cent fewer male victims in the 18-49 age group. Strangulation statutes are a relatively recent development in criminal justice, wi

A majority of Scots agree that school pupils should decide for themselves whether to take part in religious observance, a new poll has found.  The research, conducted by Survation on behalf of Humanist Society Scotland, revealed that support for an independent pupil opt-out from religious obser

Ireland is in breach of its obligations under EU water protection law, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled. In a judgment handed down last Thursday, the court identified serious non-compliances with the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), introduced in 2000.

An Elvis-loving judge has agreed to resign from the bench after disciplinary action for taking his love of the King too far – including by wearing an Elvis wig in court. Judge Matthew Thornhill, from Missouri, said he was trying to "help relax litigants" through his light-hearted antics, but n