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The Law Society of Scotland has praised the introduction of new legislation to better support and regulate the charity sector, but raised concerns it does not go far enough in reforming areas including transparency and oversight. The Charities (Regulation and Administration) Bill was introduced to t

A new record has been set for the number of trainee solicitors registered in Scotland, with Law Society of Scotland figures showing that 788 traineeships began in the past year. The traineeships registered during the legal practice year – which runs from November to October – are spread

The Law Society of Scotland's Regulatory Committee is set to take forward changes to solicitor practice rules that aims to further strengthen the sector’s standards by bolstering the legal complaints process and modernising its accounts rules. The changes were considered at the Law Society&rsq

The Law Society of Scotland has launched its new five-year strategy, underpinning its commitment to a "thriving, diverse and sustainable" legal sector to support Scottish communities and businesses. The new document outlines the society’s key priorities and strategic objectives, covering both

Thousands of Scotland’s most deprived families are facing the prospect of representing themselves in court thanks to a chronic shortage of civil legal aid firms. New analysis by the Law Society of Scotland shows that the 139 most deprived communities in Scotland, resident to around 100,000 peo

The Law Society of Scotland's governing Council agreed a motion at its meeting on Friday that any and all forms of abuse against the profession is wholly wrong and should be condemned and has set out four points of action. Motion on violence and threats against solicitor

A Court of Session judgment has reaffirmed the principle of legal privilege between solicitors and their clients. A hearing at the Inner House of the Court of Session determined that the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) is not entitled to recover legally privileged information in a solici

The Law Society of Scotland has congratulated the Scottish Mental Health Law Review on the publication of its final report and urged the Scottish government to avoid delays in moving to the implementation phase.

A proposed rise in legal aid fees is a step in the right direction, but further action is urgently needed to resolve the long-term crisis in the sector, the Law Society of Scotland has said. Following discussions with the Law Society, the Scottish government has proposed an £11 million increas

The Law Society of Scotland is calling on the legal profession, stakeholders across the justice system and members of the public for their views on proposals for a principles-based approach to administrative justice in Scotland. Richard Henderson, convener of the Law Society’s Administrative J

The Law Society of Scotland has given broad support for proposed changes to bail and release from custody arrangements, but remains deeply concerned at the high number of accused people being held on remand when charged but not convicted of a crime. The society recently submitted its response on the

The Law Society of Scotland has raised serious concerns about a possible move to judge-only sexual offence trials in Scottish courts, and the creation of additional courts outside the existing judicial structure. The proposals are among a number contained in a Scottish government consultation paper

A tool designed to mitigate risks for solicitors has won the Law Society of Scotland's 2022 Innovation Cup. Mary-Jay Morton, a senior associate solicitor at Laurie & Company in Ballater, Aberdeenshire, has won with an easy-to-use key dates calendar. It is designed to save time, stress, and worry

Law Society of Scotland president, Murray Etherington, is to take to the road for a series of in-person constituency visits after a two-year hiatus. The society’s annual visits to faculties across the country moved online during the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s events present an opport

The Lawscot Foundation’s programme to assist aspiring solicitors from disadvantaged backgrounds will be further expanded, thanks to a new sponsorship agreement with the Clark Foundation. The Clark Foundation for Legal Education – which was established in 1991 by former Law Society of Sco