Law Society of Scotland

2 weeks ago | lawscot.org.uk | Joshua King

Solicitors staffing a 24-hour legal aid hotline advising Scots in custody are threatening to strike. Lawyers from the Scottish Legal Aid Board's (SLAB) Solicitor Contact Line "overwhelmingly" backed industrial action, the GMB Union has announced, after they say management implemented 12-hour shifts and solo working. It is understood the 16-member team at the hotline voted in favour of industrial action to reverse these changes which they say put staff under unprecedented pressure.

1 month ago | lawscot.org.uk | Joshua King

One of the longest legislative processes in Scottish parliamentary history has concluded with new powers which regulators say will better protect clients and the wider legal sector. The Law Society of Scotland last night commended the approval of the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill as it passed the final hurdle at the Scottish Parliament.

1 month ago | lawscot.org.uk | Joshua King

The newly-appointed chief executive officer of the Law Society of Scotland says the legal profession has reached a "pivotal moment" which will shape his tenure. Today, the Law Society announced that Ben Kemp, experienced general counsel and executive director, will take up the role of CEO. Mr Kemp, a dual-qualified solicitor, will join the Law Society in August from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), the body which represents and regulates actuaries.

1 month ago | lawscot.org.uk | Joshua King

When Janice Muchemi's colleagues were murdered by police, this Kenyan attorney embarked on a journey to defend human rights and stand up for victims in the justice system. In the summer of 2016, Kenyan human rights lawyer Willie Kimani was abducted alongside his client, Josephat Mwendi and their taxi driver, Joseph Muiruri. Two weeks later, their bodies – bound, mutilated and bearing signs of torture – were recovered from a river. They had been murdered.

1 month ago | lawscot.org.uk | Joshua King

The Lord Advocate has unveiled new processes for handling future rape cases where the accused is a child. The changes are focused on the decision to use diversion from prosecution or referral to the Children’s Reporter as alternatives to prosecution in solemn-level sexual offending. Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC said: “I am intensely aware of the trauma experienced by victims of sexual crime and their loved ones. These are among the most difficult cases we deal with.