Opinion

With the Community Right to Buy for Sustainable Development having come into effect last weekend, land commissioner Megan MacInnes looks at what it means for communities and for land reform. Last weekend marked the launch of the latest in the Scottish government’s land reform toolkit – t

For over two centuries and through two World Wars the Signet Library has never closed its doors, except for Christmas Day, New Year and other holidays. Robert Pirrie WS, chief executive of the WS Society, reflects on the temporary shuttering of this exceptional place in the time of the COVID-19 pan

COVID-19 is presenting challenges for the construction sector in many areas, but the marked differences between the approach in Scotland and England is causing significant confusion amongst UK businesses, write Angela Grahame QC and Murdo MacLeod QC. Businesses are already struggling to comply

Ailie McGowan discusses the need for a digitalised court system. The coronavirus pandemic and current enforcement of ‘lockdown’ measures in Scotland has sharply brought into focus the need for a fully functioning digitalised court system.

You might recall headlines a few years ago, amid political jostling, of £1 million free of inheritance tax? Well, as of 6 April this year, this became true – for a limited number of people in particular circumstances. So who falls into this 'magic million' category? Firstly, it’s i

Dr Kath Murray, Lisa Mackenzie and Lucy Hunter Blackburn highlight some concerns between gender representation legislation and consistency with the Equality Act. In early 2018, with support from most parties, the Scottish Parliament passed the Gender Representation on Public Boards Act, aimed at imp

Douglas Mill looks at some of the opportunities the current lockdown presents. Or perhaps two months. Or longer. Who knows. And that is the worst of it, as business planning and strategy without a timeline is impossible. Part of the difficulty of the current situation is, I think, psychological for

The Competition Appeal Tribunal has issued its judgment following its first sitting in Scotland in 15 years. On 2 March 2020, the Tribunal, chaired by Lord Doherty, heard legal arguments on whether or not Creative Scotland, the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries acros

A construction law expert has warned against the potential consequences of communicating through post as workers are still being urged to stay at home. Ross Taylor, partner and construction law specialist at Wright, Johnston and Mackenzie LLP, has called on businesses to come together and stick to d

Waiving the immigration health surcharge is the helping hand that migrant NHS workers really require, argues Terra Firma advocate Mark Lazarowicz. The current coronavirus crisis has highlighted the reliance that the national health service, along with other public services, places on migrants a

As everyone is forced to adapt to new circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic mediators are no exception. That said, it would be fair to say that a number of mediators have been conducting their ­practice online for a number of years. I am aware of one mediator who has ­conducted a glo

With the Scottish government and the Construction Industry Coronavirus Forum advising that all non-essential building sites in Scotland should close in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Harper Macleod partner Michael Conroy outlines what this means for building projects that are governed by the

In the third of his jurisprudential primers, Benjamin Bestgen looks at truth. See part two here. Scottish author Irvine Welsh reacted with disbelief when Alex Salmond was acquitted of several sexual offences last month: “For fuck sake. NINE women were lying? Come on.”

A journey of a thousand miles is said to begin with a single step. I suggest a journey needs a destination. Without this the traveller is lost. COVID-19 has paralysed this country and indeed the world. It threatens our economy, collective life, family life and how we as human beings exist and intera

Justice First Fellow Louise Herd discusses her experience as a trainee at Clan Childlaw. Clan Childlaw was founded in 2008 by Alison Reid and Fiona Jones after they recognised a need for a specialist outreach legal representation service for children and young people in Scotland.