A sharp slice of what matters in Scottish law

First Minister John Swinney has called for talks with Prime Minister Andy Burnham over the legal mechanism for any future independence referendum, amid confusion over recent comments by Mr Burnham on the issue. Mr Burnham, who had previously described a referendum as "off the table", had said in the Commons that Scotland was in "exactly the same situation" as Northern Ireland, where the Good Friday Agreement allows for a poll where there is "a clear consensus in the country, when public opinion has changed to the point where the call has to be considered". While Mr Burnham again insisted on Thursday that "independence and a referendum are off limits", Mr Swinney said that when "a Prime Minister sets out his view to the House of Commons, I think that should be taken as the most authoritative statement of a Prime Minister", and said he has "written to him to discuss how we turn that principle into a legal mechanism".

 

Dunfermline Press

Peeblesshire News

The Daily Record

 

A Fife woman has successfully prompted the Scottish Government to review the automatic parental rights of serious offenders. Currently, individuals convicted of serious crimes retain these rights, complicating custody issues. The campaign began when the unnamed woman, whose ex-partner was convicted of possessing child sexual images, reached out to Dunfermline MP Graeme Downie. She expressed relief at the Government's acknowledgment of the problem, stating: "To know that I have finally been heard is a momentous feeling." Downie praised the campaign's impact, highlighting the courage of survivors advocating for change.

 

STV

STV

The Courier

 

Jill Andrew, a partner at Murray Beith Murray, has been appointed to co-chair the Scottish Government's review of the residential conveyancing process. She will work alongside Professor Andrew Steven from the University of Edinburgh. The review aims to enhance the efficiency of the current conveyancing system for buyers and sellers in Scotland.

 

Scottish Legal News

Herald Scotland

The Standards Commission for Scotland has announced that it plans to appeal a judge's ruling in the Court of Session that it had acted unlawfully by excluding potentially important evidence from a misconduct hearing against Glasgow City Council member Cllr Fiona Higgins. Judge Lord Sandison found the commission was "not allowing the petitioner to be properly heard" by excluding evidence she wished to present, and that doing so risked "creating the impression, accurate or not, that the issue has been pre-judged". The Herald also reports that the commission is set to move forward with the hearing, and that "procedural guidance around the submission of evidence has not been updated", raising the prospect of any findings being subject to legal challenge.

 

Herald Scotland

Lawyers have been asked to agree evidence ahead of the trial of comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli, who denies 20 charges involving five women between 2006 and 2022. The allegations include five rapes, sexual and indecent assaults, and other offences at locations including BBC Studios and a Glasgow hotel. A trial is scheduled for October next year at Glasgow High Court.

 

Ayr Advertiser

Largs & Millport Weekly News

Former staff at Rockstar Games have rallied ahead of an employment tribunal over claims they were unlawfully dismissed for trying to unionise. The 23 claimants were among 31 UK workers, mostly based in Edinburgh, dismissed in October 2025 for alleged gross misconduct. The IWGB union says they were targeted after discussing working conditions online, while Rockstar says confidential information about Grand Theft Auto 6 was shared on Discord. The company denies any link to union activity and will defend the claims.

 

The Courier

BBC News

Martin McCluskey, Labour MP for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West, says he will vote against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill during its Second Reading in the House of Commons. McCluskey expressed concern that significant protections were weakened during the Committee process, including the removal of a High Court judge's oversight.

 

Greenock Telegraph

David Barratt MSP has lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament in support of the 'Pauline's Law' campaign, advocating for mandatory emergency first aid qualifications for all school leavers in Scotland.

 

Dunfermline Press

Anderson Strathern has been appointed as a supplier on six lots of the Government Commercial Agency's (GCA) RM6374 Legal Panel for Public Sector framework. The firm will provide full legal services across various sectors, including health and social care, local government, and litigation.

 

Scottish Legal News

Paisley law firm MJC LAW has appointed Nikkala Kelly as a Trainee Solicitor and promoted Courtney Convey to Trainee Legal Assistant, supporting their professional development alongside continued team growth.

 

Press Release

A fatal accident inquiry will investigate the death of Christopher Masson, 39, at HMP Barlinnie on March 22, 2024. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has initiated the inquiry, which is required by Scottish law for deaths in custody.

 

Glasgow Evening Times