A sharp slice of what matters in Scottish law

The Supreme Court's recent ruling on rape trials in Scotland has led to significant delays in current and pending cases. Angela Constance and Dorothy Bain KC informed the criminal justice committee that their analysis of the ruling's impact is incomplete. Audrey Nicoll, the committee convener, noted that the Lord Advocate and Cabinet Secretary could not be questioned due to this lack of analysis. Stuart Munro from the Law Society of Scotland emphasised the need for a careful approach to changes, stating: "We believe it is important that we now enter a period of consolidation." The ruling has raised complex issues regarding the balance between victim protection and the rights of the accused.

 

The Herald

Digital Transformation in Conveyancing: A Roadmap for Scottish Property Law Firms

Conveyancing in Scotland is reaching a tipping point. While firms have access to more technology than ever before, many are still held back by manual processes, fragmented systems, and growing administrative pressure. The gap is no longer about awareness, it’s about execution. Leading firms are already taking a more strategic, phased approach to digital transformation, using technology to remove friction, improve compliance, and unlock capacity across their teams.

Those who act now are setting the pace for the future of property law.

Read more to see what the most forward-thinking firms are doing differently, and how your firm can keep up.

 

A note from two senior lawyers acting as counsel to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry has said that while the Scottish Government was, as ministers have claimed, unaware of potentially dangerous issues with the water and ventilation systems at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital before it opened, this was only the case because they had failed to ensure the hospital was "built to technical standards the public and Scottish government as funder should have expected", adding that it was "not correct to say" that there was nothing they could have done to identify these issues. The note from Fred Mackintosh KC and Craig Connal KC also questions the basis for current claims that the hospital is now safe, criticising the use of "broad measures of mortality across the whole hospital" to assert safety given the "tight focus" of the potential harm to small numbers of immunocompromised patients related to the water system.

 

The Times

Alloa Advertiser

Border Telegraph

Inksters are supporting the ABS Scotland Group as founding members and with Brian Inkster being a member of the committee.

The Group was born out of frustration with the Law Society of Scotland’s delays in implementing Alternative Business Structures (or Licensed Legal Service Providers) in Scotland.

By 2025, there had already been a 15-year delay in implementation following on from the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010. There was hope that the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025 would speed the process up. However, instead, the Law Society of Scotland announced a freeze of at least another two years on doing anything at all on ABS.

The main objective of the Group is to encourage and facilitate the introduction of ABS to Scotland.

You can join the ABS Scotland Group by completing the membership application form.

 

The Law Society of Scotland has called for closer collaboration between regulators to ensure successful legal services reform. It emphasised the need for coordinated planning and transparency, particularly around a proposed 12.5% levy increase. While supporting improvements to complaints handling, it warned rising costs could impact solicitors and consumers, urging a more joined-up and transparent approach.

 

Press Release

Susan Dalgety writes in the Edinburgh Evening News that improving end-of-life care should take priority over introducing assisted dying laws. While she previously supported assisted dying, she now questions whether legislation could adequately protect vulnerable people. She argues political debate has focused too heavily on personal stories rather than practical safeguards. Dalgety suggests expanding access to high-quality palliative care would better meet public needs, ensuring dignity and comfort at the end of life.

 

Edinburgh Evening News

Pinsent Masons has relocated to a new office in Glasgow, occupying over 31,000 square feet at Aurora on Bothwell Street. This move will house around 260 lawyers and support staff. Managing partner Laura Cameron highlighted the firm’s commitment to investing in infrastructure for its 4,000 staff across 30 locations, including new offices in Poland and China.

 

The Herald

The Scotsman

CMS has promoted four Scotland-based lawyers to partner as part of its latest global promotions. The new partners are Edinburgh-based employment lawyer Abbie Harley and real estate specialist Rebecca McGladrigan, alongside Aberdeen colleagues Charlie Denham from the Energy & Infrastructure team and real estate and planning specialist Nicola Insley. The promotions form part of 54 global appointments across 29 cities, with women making up 52% of the cohort, reflecting the firm’s focus on talent development and diversity.

 

Press Release

MFMac has strengthened its employment law credentials after senior associates Meghan Jenkins and Fiona Meek were accredited as specialists by the Law Society of Scotland. This brings the firm’s total to ten accredited employment law specialists, the highest in Scotland. The accreditation recognises advanced expertise in the field. The firm has also expanded its specialist capabilities in immigration law, reinforcing its broader legal offering and expertise across practice areas.

 

Press Release

A witness in the trial against former North Lanarkshire Council leader Jordan Linden has said that he went to the police in 2023 after the SNP allegedly "downplayed or ignored" his complaints of unwanted sexual contact. The witness, who was 18 at the time, is now a councillor, and said he "did not feel confident" that internal complaints within the SNP, made from 2022 onwards, were being dealt with appropriately, saying: "Everywhere I went for help in the SNP I was ignored or it was downplayed." Mr Linden was, he said, working or volunteering for an SNP MSP at the time of the incident, subsequently rising to leader of the council.

 

STV

BBC News

Daily Mail (Scot)

The Daily Record

Britain and France are in negotiations to renew a vital migration agreement before it expires at the end of the month. The current deal, worth £478m, was established by the previous Conservative government in 2023. Despite this investment, small boat crossings have surged, with over 4,100 arrivals this year. Although the French have stopped 40,000 crossings since Labour were elected in July 2024, the proportion being prevented has dropped to 37% from over 50% when the existing deal was signed  in 2023. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is pushing for a new agreement that ties funding to the number of boats intercepted by French authorities.

 

The Independent

The Daily Telegraph

A lawyer representing victims has called for the extradition of former teacher Iain Wares to Scotland after he was convicted of child sexual offences in South Africa. Wares faces dozens of additional charges in Scotland relating to alleged abuse of multiple pupils over several years. Authorities are expected to pursue extradition following ongoing legal proceedings, with calls for urgent coordination to ensure he faces further justice in the UK.

 

The Daily Record

Sarsam Abutakir, 34, and Alina Valentina, 31, will not face court proceedings after attempting to access Faslane nuclear base. Prosecutors confirmed the decision followed a "full and careful consideration of the facts and circumstances." A Crown Office spokesman stated: "The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available." Abutakir remains under review, while police investigations continue into the incident that occurred on March 19, 2026.

 

STV	Helensburgh Advertiser

Marie Gallagher, 63, faces charges of embezzling £91,000 from the estate of John Donnelly, who has passed away. She pleaded not guilty while acting as his carer and power of attorney. The alleged embezzlement occurred between December 2013 and December 2019. The case has been continued for further enquiries, with Sheriff Ewan Cameron expressing dissatisfaction over the lack of allocated deputies for the case.

 

Ayr Advertiser

The Prime Minister is planning legislation that will enable the UK to import EU laws, with it suggested that the Chancellor is looking to reconnect with Europe's single market sector-by-sector.

 

Financial Times

Helen Ross, the first female professional prosecutor in Scotland, was honoured in Aberdeen following her death at 97. Solicitor General Ruth Charteris KC unveiled a plaque celebrating Ross's pioneering role in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). Charteris remarked that Ross "smashed through the glass ceiling" and inspired many women in law. Ross, who graduated from Aberdeen University, faced discrimination but rose to become assistant procurator fiscal in 1979. A room in the Aberdeen fiscal's office is now dedicated to her legacy, highlighting her significant contributions to the legal profession.

 

The Press and Journal