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2nd December 2021

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INDUSTRY
Solicitors to stage Parliament protest for legal aid
The Scottish Solicitors Bar Association is to hold a protest outside the Scottish Parliament on Monday, December 6th, in support of its campaign for a "significant and meaningful increase" in legal aid funding. On the same day – the St Andrews Day public holiday – a number of local faculties, including Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen, will boycott the Monday custody court. The SSBA is continuing to highlight that the fixed fee for summary criminal cases – "the core of our workload" – was set in 1999 and is now worth significantly less in real terms than it was then; and that the criminal defence bar is unable to compete with the salaries offered by other public bodies, in particular the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service, leading to younger members continuing to leave criminal defence work in significant numbers.


 
FIRMS
Morton Fraser appoints three new partners
Morton Fraser has appointed three partners: Chris McLeish joins the firm's real estate team from DWF, and Andrew Walker moves to the corporate team from Addleshaw Goddard. Marking Morton Fraser's ongoing investment in existing talent, Jack Kerr has been appointed as a partner in the private client team. “As businesses emerge from what are hopefully the most severe impacts of coronavirus, we have our sights set firmly on the firm’s future and are continuing to invest in our talent first strategy", commented chief executive Chris Harte. "At a time when top talent is in such high demand, we’re delighted to appoint these three ambitious and talented individuals who will really bolster some of our key practice areas".
THE LAW
Tougher penalties for domestic abuse
Priti Patel is to announce that domestic abuse and sexual offences will be treated as seriously as knife crime under new measures. It will mean that agencies which are currently expected to work together to tackle knife offending will have to take similar steps to combat domestic abuse and sex crimes. The Home Secretary said the changes will cover police, government, health and education bodies, requiring them to share information in a bid to protect people from further harm.

 
PROPERTY
House prices still on the up
House prices continued to rise in November, despite predictions that the market boom that began last summer would cool off over winter following the end of the stamp duty holiday. Nationwide’s latest house price index revealed that prices rose 0.9% last month with annual growth creeping back into double figures. The 10% year-on-year increase marked an acceleration from October, the first month that wasn’t boosted by the stamp duty holiday, when month-on-month growth was 0.7% and the annual rate grew 9.9%. The average price of a home in Britain now stands at £252,687, according to Nationwide. Prices have risen by more than £33,000, or 15%, since the pandemic started last March. There have already been more housing transactions this year than in 2020 with a month still to go and activity levels are close to those seen in 2007 before the global financial crisis rocked the property market.
£2bn scheme to create new neighbourhood near Edinburgh Airport
£2bn plans have been announced for a major urban expansion project on land beside Edinburgh Airport. Tycoon Sir Bill Gammell and Drum Property Group are leading the West Town proposal, which would include space for 7,000 homes as part of a complete new neighbourhood featuring offices, a school, GP surgery, park land and a vibrant town centre. A third of the homes would be earmarked for affordable housing suitable for key workers. It will be modelled as a "20 minute neighbourhood", a concept which has been embraced by City of Edinburgh Council.
CASES
Disabled showjumper wins 'wrongful conception' battle
A showjumper who was born with spina bifida has won a landmark High Court battle against her mother's GP, claiming she should have never been born. Last month Evie Toombes, from Skegness, Lincs, sued Dr Philip Mitchell in a "wrongful conception" damages claim over his failure to advise her mother, Caroline, to take vital supplements before getting pregnant. The amount awarded in the compensation payout will be decided at a later hearing. Ms Toombes's lawyers said the sum will be "big" because it has to cover the cost of her care needs for life.
Outlander star loses legal fight over whisky name
Outlander actor Sam Heughan has lost a legal fight with a German distillery over the name of his whisky brand. The actor launched his own Scotch last year called the Sassenach — the nickname his character Jamie Fraser uses for his on-screen love interest Claire in the time-travel drama. His business, the Great Glen Company, applied to register the brand name as a trademark to sell the whisky across Europe. However, the move was opposed by the Sasse distillery in Schoppingen, which said it was too similar to its own Sasse trademarks, which it uses to sell whiskies and brandies. The company argued that a whisky called the Sassenach would confuse customers, who may think it is linked to the German distillery.

 
SOCIAL
Ministers consult on new cold weather payment
The Scottish Government has opened a consultation into the new Scottish benefit providing assistance for winter heating costs. Ministers have committed to replacing the UK Government’s cold weather payment ("CWP") of £25 for every seven day period of very cold weather, with a new £50 winter heating payment paid annually to those low-income households currently eligible for the CWP. This will cost £20m each year and support the energy bills of 400,000 households. The consultation aims to provide an overview of the new payment's aim, its key eligibility criteria and format. It sets out how the Government intends to deliver the new benefit through Social Security Scotland, and seeks to identify any unintended consequences of the proposals. The deadline for responses is February 23rd 2022.

 
COVID
Amiqus helps accelerate vaccine rollout in North East England
Edinburgh-based tech firm Amiqus has enabled one of the UK’s most successful vaccine rollouts this year by providing remote pre-employment screening technology used for NHS staff pre-employment checks according to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). Amiqus’ technology, which can be used remotely or in person by regulated service providers - such as recruiters, lawyers, property managers and accountants - enables secure and compliant remote due diligence; an essential part of high-stakes transactions, such as public sector recruitment, since employers have had to adapt to social distancing, remote working and worker shortages. “The number one cause of dissatisfaction among NHS recruiters is pre-employment screening. Before using Amiqus, we’d be looking at around three weeks of delay at the recruitment manager level just to verify documents, such as ID and ‘right to work’. The time we’re saving by using Amiqus is phenomenal and has the added value of reducing stress among our recruiters, who continue to be pushed for resources", said Samantha Peterson, head of HR transactions at NHSBSA. "Accessing our digital pre-employment checking service ensures that there is no lengthy procurement process; through the freeing up of internal resources and the creation of capacity our health service, and ultimately patients, will quickly reap the benefits". Richie Stewart, senior commercial manager at Amiqus, added: "As we consider how to improve public sector services and overcome the challenges presented by COVID-19 and beyond, it is vital that private sector companies like ours are part of this conversation. The talent and innovation is there for the taking. We just need better access to be able to help”.
OTHER
Lawscot Foundation reloads festive 'pass the parcel' campaign
A virtual version of the traditional "pass the parcel" game was launched on Wednesday by the Lawscot Foundation, the Law Society of Scotland’s social mobility charity. The campaign is inviting participants to make a donation to the Foundation and then to "pass the parcel" on social media by nominating someone else to do the same, using the hashtag #LawscotPassTheParcel. It is aiming to raise £2,500 to fund one of the Lawscot Foundation's students through a year of their law degree. At 3pm every Friday before Christmas and on Thursday 23 December, the "music" will stop and one of the week’s participants will win a festive prize.
 


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