A sharp slice of what matters in Scottish law

A hearing to decide whether to allow a judicial review into the proscription of Palestine Action as a terror organisation has been heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. The case, brought by former diplomat Craig Murray, challenges last year's order by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood that made it illegal to support or be a member of the group, citing arrests of Scottish activists under the Terrorism Act 2000. Lawyers for Murray, including Joanna Cherry KC, argued the case has a distinct Scottish dimension, affecting human rights and freedom of assembly, and stressed the urgency given upcoming court appearances for activists. Government lawyers objected on grounds of standing and jurisdiction, noting a parallel review in England, but the judge questioned whether halting the Scottish case would unfairly block Murray’s challenge. Lord Young said he would consider the issues in the case before deciding on whether to allow the action to proceed, and would issue his decision "hopefully this week if not shortly after."

 

STV

thenational.scot

The Scotsman

 

Karyn McCluskey, chief executive of Community Justice Scotland, highlights the issue of court no-shows, which result in around 20,000 failure-to-appear warrants being issued annually. McCluskey warns that the situation leads to wasted police resources and delays in justice. Individuals miss court dates due to various reasons, including mental health issues, lack of transport, or simply not receiving notifications. McCluskey suggests that simple reminders, like text messages, could improve attendance by 20% to 30%. She emphasises the need for a justice system that accommodates human behaviour rather than enforcing perfect compliance.

 

The Scotsman

 

The Government has announced that a new law will come into force this week making it a criminal offence to create or request non-consensual intimate images, including AI deepfakes, and plans to criminalise companies that supply AI tools which are utilised in the creation of such images. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned social media firm X over its AI tool Grok, saying that if cannot control the AI chatbot, "we will." He added that the social media site could lose the "right to self regulate." Meanwhile, Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into X over a feature of Grok which has been used to create "deeply disturbing" images. The regulator said it launched the probe having reviewed the available evidence "as a matter of urgency." Ofcom said the investigation will look to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act. If found in violation of the law, X could face fines up to 10% of its revenue or £18m, whichever is higher. If X does not comply, Ofcom can seek a court order to force internet service providers to block access to the site in the UK. 

 

BBC News

City AM

Daily Mail

The Independent

The Times

Ash Regan has accused the Scottish Government of using procedural delays to stall her Bill to criminalise the purchase of sex, warning it risks undermining parliamentary democracy. She said repeated postponements - including delayed oral evidence, a bid to extend the stage one debate deadline, and the absence of a financial resolution - had effectively blocked progress despite Holyrood agreeing the Bill should proceed to a vote. Regan’s legislation would penalise buyers with fines of up to £10,000 or potential prison sentences, while the Government says it supports the policy aim but believes the Bill requires significant amendment.

 

STV News

The UK government carried out a sharp increase in immigration enforcement activity in Scotland last year, with 695 raids conducted in 2025 as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal working. The operations, targeting sectors including car washes, nail bars and barber shops, resulted in 400 arrests, representing rises of 61% in raids and 49% in arrests compared with 2024. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said there was "no place for illegal working in our communities."

 

The Herald

A man has been jailed for 12 years for attacking strangers with a smashed bottle on a train, leaving one victim with a collapsed lung and a severed artery. Thomas Craig, 48, repeatedly struck Glenn Lennon and also injured Aaron Nelson on the Glasgow Queen Street to Perth service in February 2024 while under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. At the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Arthurson described the assault as a "violently appalling attack" that terrified the victims and fellow passengers. Craig will also face three years of supervision on release.

 

BBC News

The Times

An Aberdeen supporter has been jailed for 18 months after throwing a chair that struck and injured player Jack MacKenzie during a Scottish Premiership match against Dundee United last May. David Gowans, 32, was also handed a ten-year football banning order, with the court describing his actions as "selfish, stupid, dangerous and utterly irresponsible." The incident left MacKenzie with a serious eye laceration and facial abrasion, and Aberdeen has banned Gowans from attending the club’s games for life.

 

BBC News

The Times

The BBC plans to dismiss Donald Trump's $10bn defamation lawsuit regarding a Panorama programme that misrepresented a speech by the President. Mr Trump's lawyers argue the editing was "false and defamatory." The BBC will assert that the Florida court lacks jurisdiction and that Mr Trump has not demonstrated "actual malice," a requirement for public officials in defamation cases.

 

The Independent

Daily Mail

Housing markets in Scotland and northern England are predicted to experience the strongest house price growth in 2026, according to Zoopla. In contrast, southern England and London are forecasted to see weaker price growth due to higher mortgage rates and property taxes. Markets such as Motherwell, Glasgow, and Paisley led the way, with Wigan the only non-Scottish location in the top ten.

 

Daily Mail

The I

The Scotsman

The Times

Justice Secretary Angela Constance has been accused of misleading voters over a long-promised £4.3m medical centre in East Calder, after freedom of information responses showed no evidence that her constituency's project was being actively progressed. While Constance said alternative funding routes were being explored amid an NHS Scotland freeze on capital spending, documents to ministers made no specific reference to the overstretched GP practice. Scottish Labour, targeting her seat, said the claims lacked documentary basis, with Livingston MP Gregor Poynton calling the FoI findings "damning."

 

The Times

Internal documents reveal that HMRC withdrew child benefit payments without warning, believing the risk of harm was "tolerable." Despite 63% of the families still residing in the UK, HMRC suspended nearly 24,000 accounts based on incomplete Home Office data. By November 30, 15,000 families were confirmed as legitimate claimants, while only 1,019 were found to have incorrect claims. HMRC says it has since improved its processes to prevent such errors.

 

The Guardian