Scots Law Blog: A Decade of Legal Insights In the heart of Edinburgh almost fifteen years ago, Scots Law Blog was established with the mission of providing a platform for sharing valuable insights into Scottish law. Our commitment to this objective has endured as time has passed. Welcome to our wide collection of Scottish law news updates and legal articles, aimed to educate, and engage readers interested in Scots law. Latest Legal News in Scotland We aim to cover all Scottish legal issues on our platform. We pride ourselves on providing regular Scots legal news updates to keep our readers up ..read more

– Zia Akhtar Grays Inn. – Suella Braverman’s remarks about ‘Pakistani men’ need examination against the law of defamation and the defence of Parliamentary privilege.  Abstract In an interview on Sky television on 3 April 2023 the UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman stated that “Pakistan-origin men” were responsible for “grooming white English girls” who were “vulnerable” and often “in care”. She also stated that Pakistani men held cultural values which were diametrically opposed to British values and called them “heinous”. This statement was aired to a live audience and was followed by a ..read more

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring, non-intoxicating compound found in the cannabis plant. Technically, the compound is known as a phytocannabinoid (cannabinoid for short) and, depending on which sources you consult, anywhere from ninety-seven to over one hundred and twenty cannabinoids have been isolated from the Cannabis plant.1 If it’s cannabis, it’s illegal. Right? There isn’t a quick answer to that. Legislation tackles cannabis use on a number of fronts, seeing it as either a: controlled drug, medicinal product, food, cosmetic, or vaping product. Non-prescription CBD product ..read more

Following this blog post written with ChatGPT on the biggest issues the legal industry faces in the future recently, ChatGPT was asked to write a poem in the style of Robert Burns about HMRC trying to recover unpaid bounceback loans in a post-pandemic Scotland. In advance of the Bard’s birthday and Burns Night next Wednesday on 25th of January, 264 years on, here is the incredible result which took it all of several seconds. Would like to think Scotland’s favourite son would have been amazed:- “In post-pandemic Scotland, where hope is high, HMRC doth knock upon our door, With letters ..read more

Looking for extra CPD hours? Needing to top up your team’s knowledge and expertise? These litigation, business and private client/agricultural seminars in Scotland may be of particular interest to you: Arbitration in Scotland – A Practical Guide Glasgow, 18 March 2016 Flight Compensation Claims – Litigating Against Airlines Glasgow, 11 March 2016 Business Disputes – How to Avoid Costly Mistakes Edinburgh, 18 February 2016 Drafting Pleadings in Scotland’s Civil Courts – An Introduction Glasgow, 28 January 2016 Acting for Farmers & Landowners – Tax Risks & Negligence Traps Edinburgh, 4 F ..read more

When Scots Law Blog was set up in Edinburgh over ten years ago, our mission was to share useful Scottish legal insights. That mission is still the same and we are looking for new authors, particularly leading Scottish lawyers and law firms who want to publish and share useful articles for no fee. Please get in touch here for more information on how you can share your first article. Some of our past authors have included:- Author information ScotsLawBlog Scots Law 2.0. Twitter ..read more

“Whilst we welcome the Scottish Government scheme to provide 40 legal aid trainees to firms we are concerned about retaining staff in a legal aid firm,” says Mark Thorley, Director of leading Scottish legal aid law firm, Edinburgh based Thorley Stephenson. “Since the launch of Thorley Stephenson, in Edinburgh in 2005, we have employed 20 trainee solicitors. “Thorley Stephenson’s philosophy regarding trainees is firmly rooted in forward thinking and inspiring the next generation of lawyers. As such, our business has a strong record of employing graduates and ensuring they en ..read more

Prescription has an important role to play in any legal system; it creates an element of certainty for parties that they will not face action after a certain time limit has passed. Prescription gives closure to unresolved legal issues, but time-limits must be sufficient to give parties the choice of taking legal action, and strike a fair balance between competing interests. As a result of the importance of prescription, and some recent prescription cases, The Scottish Law Commission have published a discussion paper on the issue to identify areas in need of reform. This post looks at the histo ..read more

By Alison Wainwright of Dipitus – copywriting, editing and proofreading services.  The Scottish Government has recently launched a long-awaited consultation on the remit of the proposed new body Consumer Scotland. Currently the only part of the UK to have dedicated and eponymous consumer bodies is Northern Ireland after the UK-wide National Consumer Council was abolished in 2014.  That Council was branded “Consumer Focus” and came into being in 2008 through the merger of the existing National Consumer Council (a company limited by guarantee) and the cons ..read more

The Law Society of Scotland has published a useful summary of changes in regulation and practice in response to the restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. You can read these here, which include changes in respect of legal aid, attending court, instructing counsel, making wills and powers of attorney, anti money laundering, financial compliance and more.   Author information ScotsLawBlog Scots Law 2.0. Twitter ..read more