Opinion

In the second of four interviews undertaken by SEMLA for Black History Month, SLN spotlights Shepherd and Wedderburn trainee Vambo Maswiswi. Can you tell us a little about your journey into law and what inspired you to pursue this career?

The Scottish government declared a housing emergency in May 2024, acknowledging that Scotland lacked sufficient housing supply to meet demand. This was partly self-inflicted, with the government cutting its affordable housing building supply programme and imposing rent controls without exemption, wh

In 2020, PPE Medpro entered into a lucrative contract with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to supply 25 million sterile surgical gowns and other personal protective equipment. The company gained widespread recognition for its association with Michelle Mone and her husband, write Pame

When making orders in terms of s.11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 the court requires to give children the opportunity to express their views and to take those views into account. In the recently published decision of PSC v NS Lady Tait considers how to do so where the strongly expressed views

Ronnie Clancy KC analyses the collapse of a prosecution in England brought against two men accused of spying for China. The recently abandoned case against two individuals who were due to stand trial on charges of spying for China is by no means the first prosecution to hit the buffers because of na

A third of Scotland's school roll has parents who live separately. Some, by agreement or by court order, share the parenting of the children on an equal, 50:50 basis. For others, the children will reside exclusively with one parent and may have little or no contact with the other. The likelihood is

With a projected £50 billion shortfall in public finances and a pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT, speculation is mounting that Chancellor Rachel Reeves may turn again to Inheritance Tax (IHT) reform when she makes her autumn budget statement on 26 November, writes Emma

Kate Bradbury reflects on the Scots family law bible as it turns 40. Built to last… and that it was. 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985. To this day, it remains the legislative bible for Scottish family law practitioners advising clients on separation and di

With the UK government’s consultation on mandating major companies and financial services firms to develop and implement climate transition plans now closed, the spotlight is turning not just on corporate strategy, but on their legal responsibilities. By 2023, more than 70 per cent of FTSE 100

The Scottish legal market stands at a crossroads. Earlier this year, the Scottish Parliament passed the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025, a landmark piece of legislation that promised to reshape the profession. Most significantly, it repealed section 49 of the Legal Services (Scotlan

The English legal press had their knives out for the Law Society of Scotland this past week. This was on the back of its announcement of a deferral of at least a further two years (to add to the existing 15 years since the introduction of the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010) in bringing about alt

“Mediation is no-one’s little brother. Mediation is not alternative dispute resolution. It is not the easy option. Mediation is how the most intractable issues can be resolved.” The words I quote above are those of leading New Zealand mediator, Mark Kelly. Kelly has done mediation

Justice Secretary Angela Constance has said the 'not proven' verdict, which is to be abolished, is "widely misunderstood". Thomas Ross KC demonstrates that indeed it is, especially by her.  Haggis, square sausage and the 'not proven' verdict – cultural appropriation being what it is &ndas

Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has handed down its first ever sentence, convicting seven former leaders of the FARC guerrilla movement of crimes against humanity and war crimes. The judgment is part of the country’s transitional justice process set up after the 2016 peac

When Graham Linehan was arrested by armed police at Heathrow over gender-critical social media posts, the reaction was swift and, surprisingly, less polarised than I expected. Many saw it as a chilling overreach into free speech. The public’s response was summed up in one pointed phrase direct