Opinion

Licensing expert Stephen McGowan comments on the guidance issued by the Scottish government on mass gatherings. As of Monday 16 March 2020, the Scottish government recommends that all large gatherings or mass events of 500 people or more be cancelled or postponed.

Succession planning is never an easy topic for business owners. Passing on an independent or family run business as a going concern will be one of the first priorities when looking to retire or move to a different role within the business, writes Bruce Farquhar. Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) an

Hollywood has a tendency to turn divorce lawyers into compelling villains. Fiona Rasmusen looks into depictions of divorce and reveals an alternative process that could stem misery for Scottish families. Anybody who has watched the recent movie, Marriage Story could be forgiven for being put of

Caroline Loudon and Piers Warne highlight issues premises licence holders should consider as the spread of COVID-19 continues. Supplier deliveries

Alison Marshall discusses women’s rights and discrimination, problems with the gender pay gap and parental leave, changes in legislation and the road to gender equality. Recent years have seen us celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the UK. It’s now 50 years since

As the UK starts to grapple with the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Home Office has been quick off the mark to make a number of concessions aimed at assisting UK visa holders impacted by the spread of the virus and the associated disruption, writes Jamie Kerr. The first significant sign t

Caroline Gillespie looks at proposals to change the laws of surrogacy. “The current law is out of date, unclear and not fit for purpose”. This was one of the conclusions reached last year in a joint consultation document by the Law Commission of England & Wales and the Scottish Law C

Julie Keir looks at the key issues for employers as we face the spread of the coronavirus. So what do employers need to know and do?

Dr Kasey McCall Smith is a senior lecturer in public international law at Edinburgh University. She first travelled to Guantánamo Bay Naval Station in 2016 and has returned nine times since as part of a project examining the effects of torture on fair trial rights. In 2017 I wrote a piece for

The safekeeping of digital assets by professional custodians remains uncertain territory. Solicitor Benjamin Bestgen provides an overview. With the increasing popularity of digital assets, parties interested in buying, holding and trading them face a common problem: how can assets like cryptocurrenc

Duncan Batchelor, partner at Clyde & Co, examines how environmental activists have advanced their goals through the courts. In November, the eyes of the world will be on Scotland as Glasgow plays host to the 2020 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26). Recent events like the Australian bush fires

Neeraj Thomas, specialist in IP and sports law at CMS, explores how Scotland's IP regulations will apply to the EURO 2020 tournament. This summer’s UEFA EURO 2020 tournament will be held in 12 different cities, with Glasgow’s Hampden Park included as a host venue. It’s another coup

The Court of Appeal finds that restrictive covenants can be enforced despite the potential for indefinite application, write Innes Clark and Iain Young. Where an employee, agent or director of a business is also a shareholder, termination of their position may trigger compulsory share transfer provi

As the consultation for the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill draws to a close, equality practitioners could be forgiven for deciding not to comment on what has become a fraught debate. The government appears to consider there will be no impact on sex-based rights, a curious position when st

Martin Mackay extolls the benefits of working in the Highlands. There’s a common misconception that having a thriving career in law means you have to work in a large city such as London or Edinburgh.