Opinion

Even after the Act of Union in 1707, Scotland and England maintained separate and distinct legal traditions. Over the centuries that have passed since, Scots law and English law have evolved differently, writes Thomas Mitchell. Their stark differences are most prevalent when it comes to the assessme

Businesses operating in the UK could be required by law to “develop, disclose and implement a transition plan that is aligned with trajectories to meet net zero by 2050”, according to plans under consideration by the UK government, writes Michael Watson. The government has opened a serie

Ella Welsby discusses the Supreme Court decision in the English appeal of Standish v Standish. A long awaited Supreme Court judgment was published this week and reaffirmed that an asset being in your name on divorce does not automatically mean it will be eligible for division.

Employee ownership is surging in popularity across the UK, and particularly in Scotland. In this article, Douglas Roberts reflects on an increasingly sophisticated and diverse market. The Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) is a special type of discretionary trust established by the Finance Act 2014 for

It is an ideal moment to pause and reflect on what has been an intriguing and evolving year for the property market across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders, writes ESPC CEO Paul Hilton. At the close of 2024, the market was buoyant. Activity levels were high, and we saw strong momentum c

In civil disputes, the outcome of court proceedings will often hinge on key evidence that is in the possession of the respondent party, write Philip Knight, Jack Mullen and Hannah Johnston. If this evidence has the potential to reveal wrongdoing, pursuing parties may naturally worry that giving noti

Recent headlines have reignited debate over the lack of regulation for expert witnesses in both civil and criminal cases. But amid calls for tighter oversight, it’s worth asking whether formal regulation would fix the problem or just add another layer of bureaucracy, writes Christine Rolland.

To a greater or lesser extent, everyone suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic. Questions are now coming before civil courts in the UK on whether the suffering of some was caused, in law, by the fault or negligence of others, writes Toni Ashby. Questions of causation can be some of the most interesti

Scotland is often aligned with England and Wales when it comes to the law, but not always – it has a truly unique, hybrid legal system. This can make dealing with Scottish legal proceedings daunting, which is why Shepherd and Wedderburn has created its Handling Disputes in Scotland video serie

In a significant judgment handed down on 10 June 2025, the Court of Session has clarified the complex relationship between insurance policy avoidance and insurers’ rights to recover settlement payments, writes Robyn Coates. The case of Ian Whyte v David Arthur and UK Insurance Limited [2025] C

Dr Anni Donaldson (School of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Strathclyde), Dr Mary Neal (School of Law, University of Strathclyde) and Professor David Albert Jones (Director, Anscombe Bioethics Centre), experts in domestic abuse, law, and medical ethics, argue that the risk of coercion

Dr Anni Donaldson (School of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Strathclyde), Dr Mary Neal (School of Law, University of Strathclyde) and Professor David Albert Jones (Director, Anscombe Bioethics Centre), experts in domestic abuse, law, and medical ethics, argue that the risk of coercion

Retailers are continuing to be hit hard by ransomware attacks, with North Face and Cartier being the latest to report that their customer personal data has been stolen. This comes fresh off the back of reported incidents affecting Adidas, Victoria's Secret, Harrods, and most notably, M&S and the

SSSTs – does conversion have a permanent effect on the tenancy? This is the question the Sheriff Court grappled with in a recent RSL eviction action, writes Claire Mullen. In this case, the Scottish Secure Tenancy (SST) had been converted to a short SST, and then back again to an SST.

Last week, Sheelagh Cooley, real estate partner and head of the Edinburgh office at Shoosmiths, delivered the keynote speech at the Scotland Investor and Developer Breakfast as part of the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF, Leeds, 20-22 May). She shared her market insights