Weekly roundup of Scots law in the headlines including Arnold Clark data breach — Monday April 20

This week's review of all the latest headlines from the world of Scots law and beyond includes permission for 15,000 drivers to pursue action against Arnold Clark and an undercover investigation into advice given by some legal practitioners to migrants in England.

Thousands of drivers can pursue claim against Arnold Clark over data breach

A judge has given permission for around 15,000 drivers to pursue a US-style class action compensation claim against Arnold Clark over a dark web data breach, reports STV News.

Lord Sandison has allowed thousands of consumers to bring group proceedings at the Court of Session, Scotland’s highest civil court.

He has heard evidence about how many customers of the Scots car dealership believe it didn’t do enough to protect their personal information. 

• Thousands of drivers can pursue claim against Arnold Clark over data breach (STV News)
• Arnold Clark faces group legal action over cyber breach (AM Online)
• About 15,000 drivers can pursue Arnold Clark data breach claim (BBC News)
• Arnold Clark faces legal action from 15,000 customers after car dealer’s dark web data leak (Car Dealer Magazine)
• Warning for thousands of Arnold Clark car dealership customers (Birmingham Live)
• Thousands of drivers given green light to take legal action against UK car dealer due to major data breach (GB News)
• Arnold Clark faces class action in Scotland over dark web data leak (Scottish Business News)

Swinney ‘satisfied' with Scottish Government gender ruling action

Scotland’s First Minister insisted he is “satisfied” his Government has complied with a landmark Supreme Court ruling on sex and gender  – despite claims from one of his party’s former MPs that he is a “coward” who has failed to implement it, writes The Herald.

Joanna Cherry KC, a prominent SNP MP until 2024, told the Times newspaper that while writing her autobiography she had become “absolutely disgusted by the SNP, and ashamed of being a member”.

• Swinney ‘satisfied' with Scottish Government gender ruling action (Herald)
• SNP slammed for 'reckless' plot to push toxic gender reforms through 'back door' Trojan horse bill (Daily Express)
• Swinney ‘satisfied’ with Scottish Government action after landmark gender ruling (Independent)
• Swinney urged to apologise over gender reforms (BBC)

And in other news

Legal headlines from across the UK and beyond:

• Legal advisers help migrants pose as gay to get asylum, undercover BBC investigation finds (BBC)
• From burning bins to building bridges: how restorative justice helped one woman after Southport riots (Guardian)
• Aspiring lawyers will still need to cover core law modules in the AI age, says Master of the Rolls (Legal Cheek)
• [£] The rapist who partied, had children and let Andrew Malkinson rot (Times)
• Abused siblings left 'sick' by 'insulting' sentence for abusive foster mum and son (STV News)
• [£] Artemis II exposes legal black hole (Times)
• Gruesome gangland double murder shocked police and remains unsolved 27 years later (Daily Record)
• The rape case that became one of Britain’s greatest miscarriages of justice (Guardian)
• Opinion: Are Axel Rudakubana’s parents responsible for his terrible crime? It’s a question many families will fear to answer (Guardian)
• Lady Elish Angiolini re-appointed as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly (Church of Scotland)
• [£] Magistrate accused of helping drug gang used ‘air of respectability’ (Times)
• Renee and Andrew MacRae's killer died of heart failure, inquiry concludes (STV News)
• MPs and peers approve law to pardon women convicted over abortions as far back as 1800s (Guardian)
• Gilson Gray grows Edinburgh footprint with fourth city office (Scottish Business News)
• UK to probe Paramount-Warner Bros deal in coming weeks, competition watchdog says (Reuters)
• Solicitor who falsely recorded time to meet targets struck off (Legal Futures)
• ‘Labels protect us’: Olivia Nervo wants reproductive coercion to be a standalone offence – she is not alone (Guardian)
• Inquiry to be held into death of Scots prisoner in cell (STV News)
• Ex-Scottish Labour leader Dugdale appointed as Stonewall chairwoman (BBC News)
• Pedro Pascal v Pedro Piscal: actor in legal battle with Chilean spirit brand (Guardian)