Opinion

The first Budget under the Labour administration was feared by business and nowhere more so than in the farming community where the recent announcements will have a devastating effect, writes Sarah Dodds. As an accountant and business advisor, but more importantly a farmer’s wife with a young

New powers allowing police to seize cryptocurrency and other similar assets, which have been illegally obtained by criminals or are being used to hide or launder the proceeds of their activities, came into effect in Scotland yesterday, writes Sally Clark. The new seizure powers are a key aspect of t

Burges Salmon partner Magnus Miller considers the differences between pensions law in Scotland and in England. With the enactment of the Trust and Succession (Scotland) Act 2024 earlier this year, it is a good time to remind ourselves of the differences between Scots law and English law as they appl

Lindsays chief operating officer Ian Beattie pays tribute to the firm's lawyers playing a role in charities across Scotland. It’s been Trustees Week from 4-8 November, and across Scotland and the rest of the UK, the spotlight is shining on the priceless contribution made by charity trustees to

Cameron Wong McDermott, lecturer in social change and clinical legal education at Glasgow University, reflects on his experiences of pro bono work as we celebrate National Pro Bono Week. Let me begin with a story.

As Pro Bono Week begins, shining the spotlight on the role of voluntary legal work is of utmost importance, writes Lauren Weetman. The pro bono effort of solicitors has a profound impact on both those seeking access to legal advice and the broader legal community alike. Efforts that shine particular

Ahead of the US election tomorrow, in which one candidate hopes to win bigly, David J Black looks at interference on both sides of the Atlantic. Aspirant President Donald J Trump, who now joins the disparate ranks of Barack Obama and Sarah Palin in condemning the very idea that Scotland should opt f

The new Employment Rights Bill introduced by the UK government represents one of the most significant single items of employment legislation ever to be published and makes provision for 28 different employment law reforms, writes Helen Corden. Among the changes proposed are enhanced rights for worke

Great changes are being wrought in Scotland's law of evidence. Dr Grant Barclay, early career fellow in evidence and criminal law at Edinburgh Law School, looks at the full bench decision in HMA v PG and JM. “Having to apply rules, which prohibit a judge or jury from reaching a just conclusion

ESPC Lettings’ head of lettings, Nicky Lloyd, discusses how the Edinburgh rental market has performed six months after legislative change. October marked the first six months of the changed rental landscape in Scotland, following on from almost two years of the restrictions put in place on ten

Around 10 years ago, the Scottish government published The Digital Strategy for Justice in Scotland. It outlined a “vision to have modern, user-focused justice systems which use digital technology to deliver simple, fast and effective justice at best cost”, setting an objective of &ldquo

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to highlight the importance of understanding the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, writes Sarah Jackman.  According to Breast Cancer Now, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes. Around 55

The latest enforcement actions and supervisory publications by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) indicate the regulator’s renewed interest in market integrity and its expectations on regulated firms to assist it through clear dialogue and reporting, writes Anthony Harrison. Recent enforcem

Professor Gillian Black explains why the Scottish Law Commission is looking at reform of civil remedies for domestic abuse. With over 61,934 incidents of domestic abuse recorded by Police Scotland in the year 2022 to 2023 (of which 81 per cent involving a female victim and a male suspected perpetrat

A recent decision of the Court of Session has found that a Scottish administration can be declared as ancillary to an insolvency process in another jurisdiction, writes Jennifer Andrew. This means that the insolvency proceedings in one jurisdiction are considered as the main insolvency proceedings,