A Paisley man has received a sentence of five years and three months after killing a 15-year-old girl in Paisley. He was also banned from driving for 11 years and seven months. This sentence was reduced for his guilty plea to the charges against him. Mr Gatti pled guilty to [...]

Ms Sutherlay has been sentenced to six years and eight months after pleading guilty to culpable homicide. She was originally charged with the murder of Mr MacFadyen after attacking him with a pair of scissors, but a plea was accepted to the lesser charge. The attack took place in June [...]

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation which will run until October 2020, seeking views on raising the age at which a young person can be referred to a children’s hearing from 16 to 18. Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd said: “We know many vulnerable 16 and [...]

Lord Hodge delivered the Supreme Courts judgement on 18 June 2020 by video link refusing appeals by siblings challenging legislation which did not allow them to be granted ‘relevant person’ status in children’s hearings proceedings. The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the appeals, both brought by siblings of children involved in [...]

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has now implemented the process to facilitate virtual visits for inmates and their families across most Scottish prisons. SPS have said: “Roll-out to the remaining prisons will happen in the coming weeks and we anticipate that Virtual Visits will be available in all our prisons [...]

Citations have been issued to potential jurors for the re starting of jury trial since the start of COVID -19. The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service aims to hear jury trials in July. A Working Group established in May specifically to consider how the reintroduction of jury trials can take [...]

Figures released by the Crown Office show hate crimes are increasing across Scotland. The number of charges for the period 2019-20 reported an increase in all categories of hate crime compared to the figures from the previous year. Racial crime is the most common leading to 3,038 charges in 2019-20 [...]

Schools in Scotland will re-open following the Summer Holidays on 11 August 2020. The Education Secretary, John Swinney has confirmed that parents who refuse to send their children back due to fears surrounding coronavirus face prosecution. Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their children [...]

Liam MacDonald, 33 was found not guilty of being in possession of cannabis resin at Inverness Sheriff Court on 10 June 2020 in the first criminal case to be held remotely in Scottish history. Sheriff Gary Aitken presided over the summary trial at Inverness Sheriff Court. The prosecutor, defence solicitor, [...]

James Hurst, 28 an ex-West Brom and Wrexham footballer has been remanded in custody after being found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court of coughing at Police Officers and telling them he had coronavirus. Mr Hurst had contacted the Police claiming to be the victim of domestic abuse. When the officers [...]