News

A public interest test for significant land transfer should be enshrined in statute, a report published today recommends. Most of the disadvantages associated with Scotland’s current pattern of land ownership stem from a concentration of social, economic and decision-making power, according to

Legislation which aims to create a clearer, fairer and more credible way of setting the personal injury discount rate for damages claims has been passed unanimously at Holyrood. The discount rate is used to help calculate lump sum compensation to cover disadvantage such as future salary losses or fu

An independent review of Scotland's mental health legislation is to be conducted. The review of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 aims to improve the rights and protections of those living with mental illness and remove barriers to those caring for their health and welf

Davidson Chalmers partner Laura Irvine has been accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in freedom of information and data protection law, making her just the second Scottish lawyer in private practice to achieve the standard. The Law Society accreditation recognises solicitors who

A report by the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) has found that police should have been sent sooner to the home of a woman listed as a vulnerable person after a call from a concerned family member about her welfare was categorised as a priority in an incident last May. The body

Lawyers from EU jurisdictions would no longer be offered preferential treatment when qualifying in England and Wales if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal.

A German court has ruled that the country's government must do more to ensure its territory is not used by the US to carry out unlawful US drone strikes in Yemen. The case marks the first time a European country has been found to play an essential role in US drone strikes, with the court holding tha

Macdonald Henderson has advised the shareholders of Finlay Scotland Ltd on the sale of the company to Molson Group. Having already taken over Finlay Plant (UK) Ltd in June 2018, Molson Group now has the distribution rights for Terex Finlay mobile crushing, screening and conveying equipment acro

Israel's justice minister has come under fire after releasing an election video in which she sprays herself with a perfume labelled "fascism" – then says it "smells like democracy". The 44-second video, now viral globally, features Ayelet Shaked as the star of her very own black-and-white perf

A serial offender with over 100 previous convictions has successfully challenged a sheriff’s decision to impose a supervised release order (SRO) after he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for an attempted robbery and a separate statutory breach of the peace. The Appeal Court

Thom Brooks, dean and professor of law and government at Durham Law School, writes on the latest development in the Brexit saga. Theresa May’s attempt to secure parliament’s approval for her Brexit deal this month has been dealt an almost certainly fatal blow.

Computers could be given separate legal personality to cope with the use of advanced technology in commerce, a Supreme Court justice has suggested. In the First Edinburgh FinTech Law Lecture at the University of Edinburgh, Lord Hodge said there was no reason why the law could not confer legal person

Patent applications originating from Scotland continue to grow, according to the latest data released by the European Patent Office (EPO). New figures show that Scottish businesses and inventors filed 299 applications last year – representing a rise of almost seven per cent on the previous yea

Scotland must address eight core issues in order to seize export opportunities and build an economy fit for the future, according to a study by the Fraser of Allander Institute. The Scotland in 2050: Realising Our Global Potential report canvassed the views of more than 100 business leaders, industr

Lawyers for the family of a Bloody Sunday victim have contacted the Attorney General for Northern Ireland to complain about comments made by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. Mr Williamson, speaking after prosecutors announced that one former British soldier would face trial in connection with Blo