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The Scottish housing market is set to open today as the country enters phase two of the Scottish government’s route map out of the coronavirus crisis. Cameron Ewer, head of Savills Residential in Scotland said it was important to note that "sales activity hasn’t stood still during lockdo

The public inquiry into the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh will begin this August. Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has confirmed that the inquiry, which will be chaired by

Axiom Advocates has welcomed two new members – Victoria Arnott and Neale Tosh. Ms Arnott calls after gaining considerable experience as a solicitor in private practice. She was the 2019-2020 Faculty Scholar (joint). Her principal areas of practice are in professional negligence, professional d

Arnot Manderson Advocates has welcomed Jonathan Murphy and Fergus Whyte to the stable following their admission to the Faculty of Advocates in another historic but socially distant calling ceremony held in Parliament Hall. Mr Murphy calls to the bar having previously worked at Gildeas Solicitors in

More employees will become owners of the companies they work for as firms seek to ensure greater resilience in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, according to Lindsays' Douglas Roberts. Mr Roberts has advised on more than 10 employee ownership (EO) deals which have been completed in the past f

Sean White was an instructing solicitor in one of the first virtual appeal hearings before the Inner House of the Court of Session and in the first virtual Court of Session commercial proof. Here he discusses his experiences of the virtual courtroom so far. The Inner House hearing

Great client communications can help strengthen solicitor-client relationships and minimise complaints. That’s the idea behind this year’s Innovation Cup winning entry. The winner of this year’s competition is Emily Campbell, a trainee solicitor at BTO Solicitors. Ms Campbell impre

A routine Friday morning turned “surreal” for members of Faculty and staff when the Dalai Lama paid an unannounced visit. On 22 June, 2012, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism was on a UK tour, and had engagements in the Signet Library and the National Library of Scotland in Edinbur

The prime minister of Bulgaria, Boïko Borissov, has been fined for entering a church without a mask. Having fallen foul of rules introduced by his own government, Borissov and his entourage face fines of as much as €150.

The introduction of Phase 2 of Scotland's exit from the crisis was welcomed by many. A notable exception, however, was a large number of hospitality businesses, who had been gearing up to re-open outdoor spaces and start to welcome customers back, says Stephen McGowan. Those hopes were dashed when F

The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary has quashed a verdict of guilty of culpable homicide returned against a co-accused in a murder case, replacing it with a verdict of guilty of assault. Weir MacKay was originally tried for murder along with co-accused Alan Doherty, who w

Nine new members have been admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in a second – and hopefully, last – calling ceremony under physical distancing.

The Civil Justice Committee of the Law Society of Scotland has called on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) to urgently review a decision to refuse paper-based simple procedure actions. SCTS has confirmed to the Law Society that, except in exceptional circumstances, simp

The test for standing in judicial review cases brought on ECHR grounds should be that of 'sufficient interest', a new briefing by the Human Rights Consortium Scotland argues. Chris McCorkindale and Douglas Jack from Strathclyde University were commissioned by the consortium to produce a researc

A draft law which would increase the penalties for dog-owners whose pets chase, attack or kill farmed animals is to be considered by a Holyrood committee. The Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has issued a call for views on the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, which