Opinion

Immigration is in the news a lot right now, mostly stories about the UK government’s plans to reform the asylum system in response to small boats arriving on the English South Coast, writes Kelly Hardman. The government line is that they want to welcome refugees but expect them to enter t

Surely I must have learnt something. I started work as a trainee solicitor (or an 'articled clerk' as I was then known) in September 1990, qualifying as a solicitor two years later. It’s therefore over 30 years since I was first let loose on the unsuspecting public as a purveyor of legal advic

Malcolm Gunnyeon considers the domestic implications of a recent corporate emissions decision from the Netherlands. The recent landmark ruling by the Dutch courts against Royal Dutch Shell, one of the world’s biggest energy companies, is a stark warning to large emitters everywhere of the pote

As some employers consider cutting the pay of employees who choose to work from home permanently, Joanne Frew highlights the legal considerations they should take into account. The Covid-19 infection rate is still high but the vaccination programme is going well. Employees won't have to self-is

If you receive an award of compensation in respect of a personal injury, you are able to protect both your current and future entitlement to certain state benefits, local authority assistance and/or other sources of state-assisted support by placing your award into a personal injury trust. What is a

The tide of history is lapping over Scotland’s land. The ambitious and far-reaching Human Rights Bill due this parliamentary session is part of this tide and will help further advance land reform.

The regime on court orders determining with whom a child lives or spends time is changing, writes Alison Nicol. The factors which a Scottish court must consider when deciding with whom a child should live or otherwise spend time are changing to include the effect a court order might have on &ld

The pandemic has forced changes to almost every aspect of our lives. In WPH Developments Limited v Young & Gault LLP (in liquidation) 2021 CSIH 39, the Court of Session, however, confirmed one thing which won’t change: the law on prescription. Jamie Robb examines the case. The facts

Employers should be mindful of the changing pandemic restrictions and what they mean for office occupancy and health and safety, writes Katherine Metcalfe. The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Tuesday that Scotland will move “beyond level 0”, lifting most of the rema

Scotland introduced a new private sector residential letting vehicle, known as the private residential tenancy (PRT), when the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force in December 2017. As part of that regime, a legal device was made available to those who had rented a propert

Sarah Gilzean considers how Long Covid fits into the existing equality framework. This time last year, just as we were coming to terms with life in a pandemic, another concerning illness was beginning to rear its head: Long Covid.

Richard Douglas-Home discusses the additional recommendations the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has made to the Chancellor for the simplification of Capital Gains Tax (CGT). In July 2020 the Chancellor requested that the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) carry out a review of Capital Gain

For over a year now, we have seen how coronavirus has had a vast impact on the construction industry - from disturbances to both the supply and production of materials needed for projects, to the suspension and closure of sites during lockdowns. A reliable and organised supply chain is crucial for t

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? debuted in 1998, and as we all know from the title, offered a cash prize of £1,000,000, the largest ever prize from a quiz show. Over the years, that cash prize has remained the same, with no adjustment for inflation. Inflation changes every year, increasing on a

Recently I came across the text of a lecture by Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division of the High Court in England and Wales. In 2019 he delivered the Baroness Butler-Sloss Family Law Lecture at Exeter University. His subject was the development in understanding by social work and j