A sharp slice of what matters in Scottish law

Celtic FC has settled a historic sexual abuse case, paying a five-figure sum to a victim who claimed he was assaulted by Frank Cairney at Celtic Boys Club in 1989. Initially denying liability, the club reached an out-of-court settlement a month after the legal action began. The victim expressed relief, stating: "In terms of the settlement, I feel like I've finally been heard." Richard Pitts, a partner at Digby Brown, praised the victim's perseverance. He said: "Successful legal victories can be a double-edged sword because while we are proud of our client and what we have achieved together, there's always a mindfulness about why we are in this fight in the first place." Cairney, now 90, was previously jailed for multiple abuse charges involving young footballers.

 

London Evening Standard

BBC News

Herald Scotland

The Scotsman

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.

 

More than half of retail jobs may be impacted by the upcoming Employment Rights Act, warns the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The changes, effective from April, will enhance worker protections but could particularly affect young and part-time employees. Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, said: "Flexible retail jobs are a vital part of how millions of people are able to stay in work…If reforms treat flexibility as a problem rather than something workers actively choose, the risk is fewer opportunities and reduced access to work." The BRC argues that guaranteed hours should apply only to contracts of eight hours or fewer, to better reflect seasonal patterns. However, unions said these rights were important for vulnerable workers. Paul Nowak, the general secretary of unions group the TUC, said: "Working people need security and predictability to plan their lives, manage their finances and care for their children."

 

The Guardian

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 Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced a £9.1bn motor finance redress scheme, a significant reduction from earlier estimates of £11bn. The number of qualifying agreements has decreased from 14.2m to 12.1m, leading to lower overall costs. Nikhil Rathi, FCA chief executive, said: "We've listened to feedback to make sure the scheme is fair for consumers and proportionate for firms." The majority of the redress will be due to poorly disclosed discretionary commission arrangements, which created a conflict of interest by paying dealers more if they put customers on higher rates. Some will also be from high commissions. Despite fewer eligible claims, the average payout is expected to rise to £830.

 

Financial Times

City AM

London Evening Standard

Shepherd and Wedderburn has appointed Andy Hall as its new managing partner, effective May 1. Hall, who joined the firm in 1993 and became a partner in 2003, has led the firm's property and infrastructure group since 2013. He praised outgoing partner Andrew Blain for his leadership, noting the firm's growth during Blain's tenure, which included six years of revenue increases. The firm reported a 20% rise in net profits to £36.1m for the year ending April 30, 2025.

 

Scottish Legal News

Herald Scotland

The Scotsman

CMS is hosting an event in Edinburgh on Thursday 23 April to help junior professionals better understand ESG issues and their practical impact on business decisions. The session will bring together industry experts to discuss challenges, misconceptions and how organisations can translate ESG commitments into action.

 

Press Release

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a woman cannot determine which of two identical twins is the father of her child, referred to as P. The twins had sexual relations with her within days of each other, leading to uncertainty over paternity. Sir Andrew McFarlane stated that DNA testing cannot distinguish between the twins, leaving a 50% chance that the registered father is correct. He noted: "Currently the truth of P's paternity is that their father is one or other of these two identical twins, but it is not possible to say which." The case will return to a lower court for further decisions on parental responsibility.

 

The Daily Telegraph

The Guardian

Exploitation of vulnerable young people by county lines drug gangs in the Highlands has intensified, according to Barnardo's Scotland, which operates a support project in Inverness. The charity said criminal groups are targeting youths with threats, debt and coercion, with police identifying at least 12 gangs operating in the area. Its Anchor project, developed with partners including Highland Council and Police Scotland, has supported around 400 young people since 2023 and aims to provide early intervention and safe spaces. Officials warn the scale of the issue is significant, with plans to expand the initiative to other parts of the north east.

 

BBC News

Nine men have been arrested in a cross-border drug trafficking operation involving Scotland and Spain. Police conducted dawn raids across multiple locations in Scotland, including Glasgow and Bellshill, while Spanish authorities targeted properties in Malaga and Barcelona. The operation followed a two-year investigation into a criminal network transporting cocaine to Scotland. The National Crime Agency stated: "We will continue to work with our national and international law enforcement colleagues to ensure anyone involved in serious and organised crime is located and brought to justice."

 

STV	The Daily Record

The collapse of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks could impose new duties on UK exports, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) warns. The failure to renew a 28-year moratorium means countries may charge for digital transactions, affecting services like emailing contracts and streaming. Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle called it a "major setback for global trade." William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC, stated that the end of the moratorium creates "fresh uncertainty for thousands of UK exporters." He noted that around 75% of the UK's £545bn annual services exports could be impacted.

 

The Straits Times

Daily Mail

UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has criticised First Minister John Swinney's proposal to seek greater control over Scotland's energy policy, saying she would not trust him with such powers. Swinney has said an SNP government would pursue a Section 30 order to transfer energy responsibilities, arguing it would allow Scotland to better benefit from its resources. Opposition figures, including Scottish Labour, have also questioned the proposal, suggesting it focuses on constitutional issues rather than immediate challenges. The debate comes amid wider disagreements over oil and gas policy and energy strategy ahead of the Holyrood election.

 

Alloa Advertiser

Dunfermline Press

Greenock Telegraph