Legal Matters Scotland
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3rd November 2025

A free early morning round up of news for legal professionals across Scotland.
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INDUSTRY
Top legal aid earners revealed
Tony Lenehan topped the Scottish Legal Aid Board's earnings list for the third consecutive year, with fees of £490,000 in 2024-25. Donald Findlay followed with £370,000, while Mark Allison and Mark Stewart earned £366,000 and £350,000, respectively. The SLAB's annual report revealed record legal aid spending of £169m, a 12% increase from the previous year. Lenehan emphasised the importance of legal aid for access to justice, stating: "High total fees represent a huge amount of work done by those advocates." However, the report also highlighted systemic limitations in the current legal aid system.

 
PRISONS
Scotland's prisons face overcrowding crisis
Scotland's prison system is grappling with severe overcrowding, with a current population of 8,391 exceeding the design capacity of 7,805. The Scottish Government plans to build HMP Glasgow and HMP Highland, which will add 464 places, yet this will still leave the estate short of meeting demand. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar criticised the £1bn investment, stating it won't resolve the crisis. He remarked: "Despite the eye-watering cost... it will not even be fit for purpose." The Scottish Government insists these new facilities are essential for long-term sustainability and improving rehabilitation.
Findlay criticises prison population surge
Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay has shared his disbelief at the lack of outrage regarding Scotland's prison crisis. The Scottish Prison Service reported a record prison population of 8,430, prompting the Government to consider a third early release initiative. Findlay stated: "The SNP Scottish Government have been wholly in charge of Scotland's justice system for almost two decades." He criticised Justice Secretary Angela Constance for undermining judicial sentences. His Majesty's Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, Sara Snell, suggested that long-term solutions must address underlying issues and improve community support to reduce prison numbers.
MPs call for drone tech in prisons
The Commons Justice Select Committee has warned that the the Prison Service's ability to maintain safety is severely compromised by rampant drug use and trafficking. MPs recommend the urgent deployment of drone-jamming technology to combat this issue. The report found that 39% of prisoners find it easy to acquire drugs. Prison Service records show a 770% increase in drone sightings around prisons between 2019 and 2023. The report says: "All high-risk prisons should be put in a position to deploy comprehensive anti-drone technology and implement upgraded physical security measures, such as windows, within 24 months."  Andy Slaughter, the committee's chair, said: "The supply of drugs by organised criminal gangs into prisons is a constant pressure." 
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CRIME
Scotland urged to tackle grooming gangs
Ash Regan, an independent MSP, has called for a national task force to combat exploitation networks targeting children and vulnerable adults in Scotland. The plea follows the sentencing of a Romanian gang for exploiting women in Dundee. Regan highlighted the urgent need for better data collection to identify patterns of organised exploitation. Justice Secretary Angela Constance acknowledged the issue but stated that existing structures are in place. Regan emphasised: "To truly protect the vulnerable, we must detect the patterns of organised exploitation before harm happens."
Four children responsible for more than 100 crimes in Fife
A meeting of Fife Council's Cowdenbeath area committee has heard that just four children, aged between 13 and 15, were responsible for a combined 108 criminal offences in 2024/25, including assault to injury, car theft, shoplifting, and threatening retail workers. Police Scotland officers said the four individuals were responsible for a "massive percentage" of total crime in the area. Cllr Bailey-Lee Robb, commenting on the figures, said "something has to be done before they kill themselves or kill others", adding that there is "a concern in the community that you can put a young person through your processes, they go through the children's criminal justice programme and nothing happens", while Sergeant John Nicol said a severe shortage of secure accommodation is a major factor in the lack of repercussions for young offenders.
One in four foreign sex offenders hail from five countries
Recent data from the Ministry of Justice reveals that a quarter of foreign sex offenders in England and Wales come from just five countries: Romania, Pakistan, Poland, Ireland, and India. This accounts for over 450 offenders among the 1,731 foreign nationals imprisoned for sex crimes as of June, marking a 9.9% increase from the previous year. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick commented: "This is yet more evidence that migrants from some nationalities are more likely to commit certain crimes." The report also highlights a significant rise in foreign violent offenders, reaching a record high. A spokesman for the MoJ said: "This Government is deporting foreign national offenders at pace, with more than 5,000 deported last year - a 14% increase on the previous year."
THE LAW
Fireworks law faces major setback
The Scottish Government's fireworks legislation has been halted, described as a "basket case" by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay. First Minister John Swinney announced the pause on the licensing scheme from the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 due to cost concerns. Findlay labelled the law "halfbaked" and unenforceable, criticising the Government's inability to legislate effectively. Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown stated that most provisions of the Act have been implemented, allowing local authorities to create firework control zones to address disorder.
Hillsborough Law set for debate
The Hillsborough Law, formally known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, will be debated in Parliament. Justice Secretary David Lammy described it as "landmark legislation" aimed at ensuring authorities face criminal penalties for covering up disasters like Hillsborough and Grenfell. Lammy emphasised the importance of a legal duty of candour for public officials, stating: "This landmark legislation is for them, and for the memory of all the loved ones they lost."
New law boosts biodiversity efforts
A new law in Scotland mandates large landowners to publish biodiversity plans, aiming to enhance ecological restoration. The legislation, part of the Land Reform Bill, targets landholdings over 1,000 hectares. The law requires compliance with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and aims to mitigate climate change effects. The Scottish Government is urged to provide support for landowners to restore biodiversity effectively.
LICENSING
Fireworks control zones come into force
Nine fireworks control zones approved by City of Edinburgh Council came into force on Friday, making it a criminal offence to set off fireworks within certain areas between October 31 and November 9. Council leader Cllr Jane Meagher said the zones "are designed to address concerns about the dangerous misuse of fireworks and to protect vulnerable people, animals, and the environment". Not all proposed zones were approved - including one requested by the Auchinloch charity Cats Protection, which cited the stress caused to the animals in its care by fireworks. Glasgow City Council has also put fireworks control zones into place for the first time - in Pollokshields, Govanhill and Broomhouse - in a bid to avoid a repeat of Bonfire Night disorder in some parts of the city in recent years.
HOUSING
Council faces thousands of legal challenges over homelessness
New figures from the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) have revealed that it received a total of 2,365 threats of judicial review between April and October this year over Glasgow City Council's failure to provide temporary accommodation when required, or for breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order, which limits the length of stays in accommodation such as hotels and B&Bs. The HSCP said that of the total, 31 cases have gone to court, adding that the council has faced a "significant" strain on resources due to the need to dedicate staff and solicitors to manage incoming legal actions.

 
STV
Action needed after 'troubling' rise in damp complaints
Scottish Green MSP Ariane Burgess has urged the Scottish Government and Highland Council to take steps to ensure that a "deeply troubling" rise in complaints of damp and mould in council homes is addressed. Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request show the number of reports received by the council rose from 702 in 2022/23 to 971 in 2024/25, while the proportion of resolved cases fell from 95% to 85% over the same period.
Edinburgh housing convener removed
Cllr Lezley Marion Cameron has been removed as City of Edinburgh Council's housing convener following a vote at this week's council meeting, following her suspension from the council's Scottish Labour group last week. Cllr Cameron was suspended after breaking the party whip by arguing that the council should consider relaxing its requirement that new developments should include 35% affordable housing, arguing that it could be deterring investment in the city. Cllr Tim Pogson, a former chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, was appointed as the council's new housing convener.
PLANNING
Council objects to 170km pylon route
Highland Council has lodged an official objection against energy network SSEN's plans for a new 170km line of pylons connecting major substations near Spittal and Beauly. The council has raised a range of objections against the proposed route, part of SSEN's £7bn Pathway to 2030 programme of transmission improvements, including in relation to both the National Planning Framework and the Local Development Plan.
EMPLOYMENT
Jobless rate hits four-year high
The UK's unemployment rate has reached 4.8%, the highest in four years, with nearly 1m young people not in education, employment, or training. Sir Charlie Mayfield's upcoming Keep Britain Working review will recommend actions to support those with disabilities and health conditions. He pointed to the need for businesses to invest in employee health, stating: "Investment in employee health and wellbeing should not be a burden." The TUC warns that the current employment system fails disabled individuals, urging reforms to improve job access and support for the economically inactive.
WORKFORCE
Glasgow councillors to be offered personal safety alarms
Glasgow City Council is to make personal safety alarms available to councillors from next month, Cllr Anne McTaggart has said, as part of a wider policy programme aimed at improving the safety of women in the city. The council is refreshing the Glasgow Women's Safety Action Plan as part of its work, while training for school staff will be improved to strengthen education on issues such as misogyny, gender-based violence and gender inequality. A consultation is also planned on the Glasgow Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership's strategy. 
SOCIAL
'Innovative work' tackling poverty in Glasgow
The latest Glasgow Local Child Poverty Action Report for 2024/25 has been presented to Glasgow City Council members, revealing poor families in the city are now an average of £117 per week below the poverty line, down from £107 in 2020, while competing statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions and End Child Poverty put the proportion of children living in relative poverty in the city at between 26% and 36%. City Treasurer Cllr Ricky Bell said "innovative work" is underway to tackle poverty, adding that the report "highlights that families are now benefiting from more joined up relational and preventative support through initiatives such as Glasgow Helps and the No Wrong Door Network which now includes more than 250 partners across public third and community sectors".
EDUCATION
Violence in Edinburgh schools causing 14 injuries a day
New figures to be discussed by City of Edinburgh Council's education committee have revealed that violence in the city's schools is resulting in an average of 14 injuries each day - with a 36% year-on-year increase in the number of violent incidents causing injuries to staff and pupils, and a 60% increase in the number of violent incidents not causing injury.
HOLYROOD
Salmond died virtually penniless after costly legal battles
The Sunday Times reveals that Alex Salmond, the former Scottish first minister, died virtually penniless after spending heavily to defend himself in two court cases. Between 2018 and 2020, he successfully challenged the Scottish Government in a judicial review and was acquitted of 14 sexual misconduct charges. Legal costs, exceeding £500,000, drained his income from directorships and speaking engagements. At his death in October 2024, his estate required a trustee in sequestration to manage debts. Despite these financial losses, Salmond’s efforts vindicated his reputation, though the process left his widow and estate under significant financial strain.
 


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