The scheme aims to provide redress for postmasters with minimal bureaucracy. Eligible postmasters can accept a fixed settlement of £600,000 or opt for a full claim assessment if they believe their losses exceed that amount. This assessment will be conducted by the Department for Business and Trade, which will ensure [...]

This change, implemented on 31st July, mean that it is now illegal to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate or a pending application for one. It was already illegal to sell, advertise, gift, exchange, breed, or breed from XL Bully dogs, or to let such dogs stray. Owners [...]

The Scottish Sentencing Council (SSC) is seeking public input on sentencing guidelines for rape offences to ensure they are both appropriate and effective.  A public consultation will open this week and continue until mid-October, inviting feedback from individuals of all backgrounds over a 12-week period.  Chairwoman of the council, Lord [...]

The Scottish Government was facing an increase in pressure to clarify the provisions of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act following the death of 17-year-old Jonathan Beadle at Polmont Young Offenders Institution on 13th July. It has announced, on 23rd July 2024, that we can expect to see [...]

In the first month following the introduction of Scotland's new Hate Crime Act on April 1, over 500 individuals were charged out of 9,529 reports received. The Act, which includes a new offence of "stirring up hatred" based on age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity, or being intersex, resulted [...]

 Following on from the success of Channel 4's Courtroom Documentary 'The Push', we can be expecting to see high profile murder cases being televised in Scotland in the near future.  Cameras are now being introduced at the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh following positive feedback from top judges regarding similar [...]

Anthony Stokes, 35, has been jailed for five months as a direct consequence of breaching a court order.  Stokes was subject to a court order that prevented him from contacting his ex-girlfriend, Eilidh Scott and her family. He was subject to this order after he pled guilty to sending a [...]

Tracy Menhinick, 52, poisoned her victim by intentionally giving him ‘industrial amounts’ of laxatives.  The victim was a young boy, aged between 3 and 6 at the time of the offence. He was given such a large quantity of laxatives by Menhinick that he was hospitalised due to his failure [...]

The petitioner was sentenced to 12 years in prison for two charges of rape and two charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous conduct to a girl aged between 12 and 16.  He was released on license in March 2023. He was subject to multiple conditions, the followings are those that [...]

The appellant, JH, was convicted of assaulting family members over a two year period. He has appealed this conviction, arguing that the jury had been misdirected on what is required for corroboration.  The charges concerned an assault on his partner’s son where he struck him on the head, punched him, [...]