A sharp slice of what matters in Scottish law

Scottish Labour has called for an investigation into whether Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC breached the ministerial code after informing First Minister John Swinney that former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell had been charged with embezzling almost £460,000, weeks before the indictment became public. Deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie asked independent advisers to examine whether non-public prosecutorial information was improperly shared, whether it gave political advantage, and whether Parliament was misled. The controversy highlights the constitutional sensitivity of the Lord Advocate’s dual role as head of prosecutions and the Scottish Government’s chief legal adviser. Bain told MSPs that sharing the information conferred no political benefit and said she had no involvement in case decisions. The Crown Office said she would set out communications with government in full, while the Scottish Government expressed confidence in her integrity.

 

Glasgow Evening Times

Daily Mail (Scot)

The Daily Record

The Press and Journal

The Scotsman

 

More than 100 new solicitors have been formally welcomed into the profession during ceremonies in Edinburgh. The Law Society of Scotland celebrated their hard work and dedication, highlighting the importance of diversity in the legal field. The Lawscot Foundation, a charity founded ten years ago, has supported over 100 law students, promoting social mobility. The society is committed to ensuring that legal careers are accessible to all, regardless of background. "The future of our profession is in very good hands," said a representative from the Law Society, congratulating the new solicitors on their achievements.

 

Press Release

The Scotsman

 

Criminal gangs are increasingly targeting shops, with 5.5m incidents of shoplifting reported last year, costing the industry £400m. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) highlighted "endemic" violence against shop workers, who faced an average of 36 violent incidents daily. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson urged police for "dedicated resourcing" to combat this issue. Recent Government proposals aim to create a stand-alone offence for assaulting retail workers and remove the £200 threshold for "low level" theft.

 

The Guardian

Shepherd and Wedderburn will headline sponsor the All-Energy exhibition and conference for the twelfth time when it returns to Glasgow’s SEC on 13–14 May. The event, now in its 25th year, attracts more than 13,000 attendees from the renewable and low-carbon sector. The firm has advised on clean energy projects for over 35 years.

 

Press Release

A survey of EIS members in Aberdeen has found that violence against teachers remains "widespread, frequent and harmful", with more than a quarter having been physically assaulted in the last year, and more than a third observing violence on a daily basis. The union said violent incidents remain "a serious concern" and are "overtly physical in nature", with staff reporting being pushed, shoved, struck by objects, kicked, and bit, with some requiring medical treatment and/or time off work to recover. Aberdeen City Council's education and children's services convener, Cllr Martin Greig, said schools do have problems with "violence, aggressive behaviour and misbehaviour", and said teachers "need to have confidence that we have their back".

 

BBC News

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has accused the SNP of worsening Scotland’s housing emergency by allowing housebuilding to decline, ahead of the Holyrood election campaign. Despite a £4.9bn affordable housing commitment, new home starts fell 5% last year and completions dropped 8%. Sarwar said shortages were driving homelessness, long council waiting lists and affordability pressures, with nearly 250,000 people awaiting social housing. He pledged a "housebuilding revolution", including planning reform and fairer funding for councils. Sector leaders have also warned current investment may be insufficient to meet Scotland’s housing need.

 

The Daily Record

Lawyers have revealed that divorcing spouses often hide crypto assets, complicating settlements, with no specific part for disclosing crypto assets included on the form they must sign to detail their financial circumstances.

 

Financial Times

As Scotland's parliamentary elections approach, the SNP and Greens have declared support for introducing a wealth tax. Critics argue that such taxes lead to capital flight and reduced economic growth. Brian Monteith, a former member of the Scottish and European parliaments, warns that the plans "would turn Scotland into an economic wasteland reliant on a public sector unable to raise the revenues to maintain high-quality services." Arguing that such a tax could harm the country's economy, he said: "It would be the antithesis of a successful Scotland."

 

The Scotsman

The investigation into the murder of Glasgow businessman Alexander Blue is being reviewed 23 years after his death. Mr Blue was found severely beaten outside his home on 25 June 2002 and died two days later. Despite ongoing appeals, no charges have been made. His brother, Billy Blue, expressed frustration, saying believes there is sufficient evidence to identify the killer and has met with police and Crown Office officials regarding the case.

 

BBC News

Ryan Black, 46, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for breaching a non-harassment order by being with his long-term partner. Despite the woman calling the order "repulsive" and supporting him in court, Black admitted to the breach on December 10. Sheriff John Hamilton KC highlighted Black's history of violent offending and noted this was the third breach of the order.

 

The Daily Record

Fayth Davidson, 22, has been sentenced to five years and four months for setting fire to a jacket at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court. The incident occurred on February 6 last year and was live-streamed on YouTube. Judge Lady Haldane described the case as "very serious and disturbing." Davidson, who has a history of offences, purchased fuel shortly before the act. Witnesses reported seeing her ignite the jacket, prompting a call to the fire service. Defence counsel noted Davidson's struggles with alcohol and substance misuse.

 

STV	The Daily Record

Brian McKenzie, 40, has confessed to assaulting fellow inmate Paul Cannop, 31, at HMP Shotts. Cannop initially claimed his severe head and neck injury was self-inflicted. However, two days later, McKenzie admitted responsibility for the attack. Prosecutor Kevin Morrow detailed that CCTV footage showed both men entering a cell before Cannop emerged injured. McKenzie, who is serving a life sentence, claimed he acted in self-defence after being threatened by Cannop.

 

John O'Groat Journal

Trading Standards officers from Stirling Council and Clackmannanshire Council have seized fake football strips worth more than £200,000 from a shop in Stirling after a complaint from a member of the public. Stirling environment, transport and net zero convener Cllr Alasdair Tollemache said the "sale of counterfeit goods including football merchandise is a serious offence and not a victimless crime", as it "destroys jobs, undermines the hard work of legitimate businesses and has links to serious criminal activities".

 

STV

The Daily Record

The Scotsman

Kenny MacAskill, leader of the Alba party, has revealed the party is facing a financial crisis due to suspected fraud involving tens of thousands of pounds. He indicated that Alex Salmond may have had some awareness of the issues before his death 16 months ago. MacAskill stated that the party's ruling body will determine its future, not Tommy Sheridan or Angus Brendan MacNeil. He warned that the party might not be able to contest the upcoming Holyrood election without sufficient funds. Police Scotland is currently investigating the financial irregularities.

 

STV

Daily Mail (Scot)

The Scotsman

Viktorija Lukjanova, a 36-year-old factory manager, has been sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding East Lothian Produce of over £500,000. She created fake agency employees and forged time sheets and invoices over three years, using family members' names to funnel money into her account. During sentencing, Sheriff Graham Watson described the fraud as "serious, sophisticated and very high value," highlighting the planning involved.

 

Daily Mail (Scot)