A sharp slice of what matters in Scottish law
Scottish Edition
6th August 2026
 
THE HOT STORY
Ministers criticised over maternity review scope
Scottish ministers are facing criticism after internal papers, obtained through Freedom of Information legislation, revealed they opted for a forward-looking review of maternity services rather than an investigatory model examining historic failures. Officials warned the chosen approach could be "improvement-focused, not investigatory", without guaranteeing case reviews, witness evidence or recommendations on accountability or redress. Opposition parties argue bereaved families and women harmed by maternity care may be denied answers. The review, chaired by Professor Christine McCourt, will examine staffing, governance, rural services and patient experiences. The controversy follows almost £100m in NHS Scotland maternity negligence claims between 2020-21 and 2024-25 and calls for ministers to explain their decision.

 
HOLYROOD
Swinney defends SNP election campaign
First Minister John Swinney has defended the SNP's Holyrood election campaign after former first minister Nicola Sturgeon criticised it as lacking vision and failing to address major issues facing Scotland. Swinney pointed to the party's election victory and its largest lead over the opposition since devolution, saying the campaign focused on the cost-of-living crisis and earned voters' confidence. He declined to criticise Sturgeon or reveal whether they had discussed her comments privately. Senior ministers, including Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth, Education Secretary Mairi McAllan and Health Secretary Angela Constance, rejected Sturgeon's criticism, with Constance describing Swinney as Scotland's best SNP first minister to date.

 
THE LAW
New guidance reshapes single-sex spaces
The Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) official guidance on single-sex spaces open to the public has come into force in England, Wales and Scotland. The guidance requires single-sex spaces open to the public, including toilets and changing rooms, to be operated based on biological sex rather than gender identity, while also noting that it is "very unlikely to be proportionate to put a trans person in a position where there is no service that they are allowed to use", and suggests the use of unisex or gender-neutral spaces as an alternative.

 
STV
CASES
Judges reject appeal in baby abuse case
Stuart Flood's appeal against a seven-year sentence for attempting to murder a baby was rejected by judges in just three minutes. Flood, 29, inflicted severe injuries on the child shortly after birth in 2021. Flood's lawyers argued that the trial was unfair, but the judges found no miscarriage of justice. Flood must serve three-and-a-half years before being eligible for parole. The child's family hopes to move on from the trauma of the case.
Ryanair pilots launch mass lawsuit
Hundreds of Ryanair pilots are suing the airline for allegedly withholding holiday pay. The group claim, filed in London's Commercial Court, follows a Court of Appeal ruling that classified a Ryanair pilot as a worker rather than self-employed. Claims Compensation Group, representing the pilots, said that the ruling closed the door on the "agency defence in aviation." They are seeking workers' rights for the entire period of engagement.
POLICING
Police federation threatens legal action
A police federation has threatened legal action against Andy Burnham’s decision to allow the killers of PC Andrew Harper to remain eligible for early release under The Government's prison overcrowding scheme. Aileen O’Connor, chair of Thames Valley Police Federation, said the organisation would "throw everything" into a legal challenge, calling the decision a "betrayal" of police officers and PC Harper’s family. The Government has already scaled back the early release scheme by excluding rapists and child sex offenders, reducing the number of prisoners eligible from 6,000 to around 5,000. However, Justice Secretary Alex Norris said further exemptions were not possible without worsening the prison capacity crisis.
IMMIGRATION
Over 1,000 convicted for illegal arrival
Since 2022, over 1,000 individuals, including torture and trafficking survivors, have been convicted of illegal arrival in the UK, according to data from the Home Office. The offence was introduced to deter irregular migration methods. Dr Victoria Taylor, a criminologist, revealed that 628 convictions involved small boat arrivals. Emily Soothill, a partner at Deighton Pierce Glynn, said: "Potential victims of trafficking are regularly being convicted for illegal arrival."
Reform will target firms who hire illegal workers
Reform UK says firms hiring illegal migrants will face fines of 10% of their global revenues if the party is elected. Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's home affairs spokesman, said: "Under a Reform government, Britain will have the harshest penalties in the world for employing illegal migrants." The proposals also include potential jail time for directors, with fines reaching £60,000 for each illegal worker. Repeat offenders could face up to five years in prison.
DATA PRIVACY
Met criticised over data breach
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has condemned the Metropolitan Police for serious data protection failures. The ICO's enforcement notice followed incidents where sensitive information about a victim was mistakenly sent to the defendant. Jo Stones from the ICO said breaches were "foreseeable and preventable." The ICO also highlighted broader weaknesses in the Met's policies and called for immediate improvements in training and monitoring to safeguard sensitive information. The Met acknowledged the shortcomings, adding that it has "taken significant steps to strengthen information disclosure processes." 
HOUSING
Dunfermline emerges as surprising property hotspot
Dunfermline in Fife has become an unexpected property hotspot, with buyers paying an average of 103.5% of the Home Report value. Despite a 6.8% drop in average property prices, demand for affordable two- and three-bedroom homes is driving sales. The latest Edinburgh Solicitors Property Centre (ESPC) House Price Report indicates that one-bedroom flats in Dunfermline average £106,114, significantly cheaper than alternatives in Edinburgh. The market remains competitive, with homes selling in a median of 13 days.
PLANNING
Golf course study disputed by campaigners
Campaign group Not Coul has challenged a Communities for Coul (C4C) study supporting the proposed Coul Links golf course, calling its findings exaggerated and inadequate. The dispute comes as the Scottish Government continues to pause the planning application over environmental protections. Not Coul claims rare Baltic rush remains present at the site, contradicting C4C's report on habitat changes and invasive weeds.
INSOLVENCY
Liquidator appointed to Glasgow builder
A liquidator has been appointed to Impact Contracts (Glasgow) Limited following a court action by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The Glasgow Sheriff Court received a petition for the company's winding up, which is based at Craigton Industrial Estate. Julie Tait from Grant Thornton UK Advisory & Tax will oversee the liquidation.
TECHNOLOGY
Watchdog flags rogue AI incident
The AI Safety Institute (AISI) has reported a security incident involving frontier AI models, including Anthropic's Mythos, which autonomously attempted to hack real-world software developers during a routine test. The AI created fake identities as it attempted to insert malicious code into a public open-source software project. AISI said: "This is the first time we have seen risks around autonomy and deception manifest this clearly."

 

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