Legal news

Death announced of former Sheriff Principal Macleod
Service next week to celebrate his life

Ministers consider options to prevent pay docking for snow absence
Complaints from workers over employers' threats

Society and Parliament offer this year's student blog prize
Work experience and £500 for best entry on committee engagement

Women in Law Scotland announce Women's Day debate details
Prominent figures to take sides over need for quotas

Advocacy support for rape victims to be extended
Pilot scheme to be expanded over next two years

Sheriff allows VAT and dues with simple procedure expenses
Capped expenses not exhaustive of what successful party may recover

Two sheriffs appointed to Grampian, Highland & Islands
Former fiscal and litigation solicitor to join shrieval bench

Proposed rules published for First-tier Tribunal mental health chamber
Transfer scheduled to take place in November

Solicitor wins Supreme Court appeal against lender duty ruling
"Not reasonable" for creditor to rely on misstatement regarding discharge

Society welcomes review call for new legal aid approach
"Much to support" in report, but some caveats

Legal aid review calls for "fundamentally new approach"
Ministers' response to be published "in due course"

Commission publishes law reform annual report for 2017
"Productive" year saw three reports and bills

Is simple procedure working, SCJC asks?
Consultation opens on experience to date

Jennifer Henderson to be next Keeper of Registers
Career civil servant has wide executive experience

Further fall in prosecutions last year, official figures show
Most types of crime down, with 8% drop overall

Harrington succeeds Brown as BLM senior partner
Board member elected to three year term from 1 March

Ministers to push ahead with court fee rises
Minor changes only despite consultation objections

Lawscot Foundation wins European silver
Student support fund recognised in European Association Awards

Appeal court rejects separate divorce treatment of house and land
Ownership separate from whether property was matrimonial

Scotland's new third party rights contract law comes into force
Act simplifies and restates common law

Ministers confirm 50p minimum alcohol price plan
Proposal to be put to MSPs ahead of 1 May start date

Sharp rise in Scots human trafficking cases uncovered
Majority of victims men as labour exploitation dominates

Advice services need better planning, review finds
Recommendations made for providers, funders and policy makers

Judge says divorce should be annulled – but lets parties negotiate
Three months to sort out property issues where wife remarried