A new allegation of malicious prosecution has been made against the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.  The allegation comes from Mark Hirst, who was acquitted in January 2021 of an offence following comments he made in in a vlog upon former First Minister Alex Salmond’s acquittal. The defence submission, [...]

Scotland’s justice secretary, Keith Brown, has said he will “not shrink away” from reforms aimed at increasing the conviction rate in sex cases. Mr Brown, who was appointed as justice secretary in May 2021, made comments following a recent visit to The Meadows centre for sexual assault victims in Larbert. [...]

Those in receipt of fiscal fines who refuse to make payment are not being punished, according to figures from the Scottish Conservatives. The figures show that in 2018/19, 39% of those who refused to pay went unpunished, and this figure rose to 40% in 2019/20. Figures for 2020/21 remain “ongoing” [...]

Vulnerable individuals who find themselves in front of the Scottish Criminal Justice System may be eligible for support throughout the process.  The special measures available include the presence of a supporter whilst giving evidence, giving evidence via a video link from a room other than the courtroom and giving evidence [...]

Scott Styles recently discussed the reformation of the roles of Lord Advocate and Solicitor General.  The Lord Advocate carries out two roles. The Lord Advocate is head of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and is minister of the Scottish government as its chief legal advisor. This has raised [...]

The High Court of Justiciary has reduced the sentence of a man convicted of the attempted murder of a rival gang member. The case was referred to the court by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.  The appellant, Dillin Armstrong, was given an extended sentence of 13 years, he was [...]

The High Court of Justiciary has refused an appeal against conviction made by a man who was sentenced in 2019 to life imprisonment. Paul Smith was convicted for murdering the partner of his ex-wife's new boyfriend's mother.  It was argued that at trial the judge had failed by removing the [...]

MSPs from the Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for an end to “pointless” drug prosecutions in order to better use Crown Office and Police resources, whilst focusing on a health-based approach to Scotland’s drug crisis. Speaking at a parliamentary debate on Scotland’s drug deaths, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex [...]

A trainee paralegal who embezzled over £200,000 from his employers has been handed down a custodial sentence of sixteen months, following his admission of the crime.  Callum Scott, a trainee paralegal with Aberdein Considine in Aberdeen, admitted the offence earlier this year at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. He spent sums of [...]

The First Minister has appointed Dorothy Bain QC to be the new Lord Advocate, succeeding James Wolffe QC. The appointment, which is subject to approval by the Scottish Parliament, comes after a year of intense scrutiny of the role, following the Alex Salmond prosecution affair and subsequent Holyrood inquiry – [...]