The Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land (RCI) – What you need to remember
The Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land (or the “RCI” for short) was a hot topic last year, with the 1st of April deadline for submitting entries....
Repairing Standard: Is your property fit to be rented privately?
The Repairing Standard was established by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 and specifies the minimum level of repair a house must achieve to be used as privately rented accommodation in...
Why guests are your biggest problem when it comes to protecting your staff
UK hospitality businesses could be unwittingly landed in hot water by guests when the Employment Rights Bill comes into force next year. Most employers are aware of the ‘headline’ provisions...
AI-generated content – the hidden legal dangers for SMEs
AI has become a topic that some people in business simply do not want to talk about, do not want to read about, and don’t really want to understand until...
Misogyny in Music: Legal Challenges and Industry Reform
On 4 June 2025, the Women and Equalities Committee published its Fifth Report (Session 2024–25), “Misogyny in Music: On Repeat,” revisiting systemic misogyny and discrimination within the UK music industry....
What’s the secret? Exploring the potential effects of the proposed NDA ban
“The Employment Rights Bill will ban employers from using non-disclosure agreements that silence workplace harassment and abuse,” says the foreword to the announcement on amendments to the new Employment Rights...
After the claim – what employers should know
Litigation between an employer and their employee may formally end with a judgment or settlement, but its impact can linger long after. Employers are left with the task of appropriately...
Interim interdicts: The fast-acting legal remedy against business threats
In a fast-paced commercial environment, threats to your business can arise without warning. Whether it’s a competitor gaining access to confidential information, a supplier breaching exclusivity, or an individual attempting...
Defamatory, but defensible: defamation ruling upholds public-interest and honest opinion defences in SPFL club legal case
James Gillespie and another v Alan Wardrop [2025] CSOH 46 Two directors of St Mirren FC sued a former colleague for statements made online and in the press that accused...
Scottish Referrals Network: Essential property tips for private client and property lawyers
Join us for our Scottish Referrals Network webinar, where our expert speakers Karen Craig, Edward Gratwick and Debbie Brown will delve into current legal and tax developments affecting property practice...
Fatal claims for loss of a loved one – Scotland and England – same isles, different damages
When choice of jurisdiction is an option when advising a client, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the relevant locations is important. Scotland can not only be an important factor...
Private client law: Key differences between Scotland & England
The term ‘private client‘ covers many areas of law, specific to private individuals including succession planning, asset protection, trusts estates and adults with incapacity. The laws governing these areas vary...
Commonhold and leasehold reform
It will be interesting to see the Government’s proposals for leasehold and commonhold reform in the coming months. Unlike in England, where the system of freehold/leasehold still plays a prominent...
Construction – building safety and cross-border claims issues
The Scottish and English construction law landscapes share many similarities, but they are not identical and it is important to be aware of the differences. The building safety regime Scotland...
Company insolvency and the Traffic Commissioner system
When a company holding a Goods Vehicle Operator Licence faces an insolvency, several important consequences arise that can significantly impact the business’s operations and future. Understanding these consequences is crucial...
New disclosure requirements for Scottish charities
By Victoria Simpson, Gillian Harkness-McKinlay, and Aman Uppal The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (the Act), the key provisions of which are coming into force in stages, makes significant changes to...
Navigating unlawful occupation of your land in Scotland
Under Scots Law a landowner has full rights of the use of their land, except in a limited number of exceptional circumstances. Discovering that third parties have unexpectedly taken occupation...
You do a fire drill, so do a cyber attack drill
Cyber attacks are a shock for any business, but they are no longer a complete surprise given their prevalence – and the devastating high profile impact in recent years. This...
The Employment Rights Bill – impact on rural businesses
Employers will face some of the most wide-ranging changes to workplace law in over a decade. While these changes apply across the board – and are covered in our wider...
Community right to buy land to further sustainable development: Forthtay Limited Employee Trust v Scottish Ministers
Community rights to buy in Scotland are not a new concept, but a recent case has shed new light on how they operate in practice. Forthtay Limited Employee Trust v...
Inheritance tax reliefs for farmers and landowners
The changes to inheritance tax (IHT) reliefs for farmers and landowners, announced by the Chancellor on 30 October 2024, will have a considerable impact on plans for succession. These changes,...
Insight on the new Scottish Land Reform Bill
Despite getting less media attention than the new community engagement rules and restrictions on large estate sales, the changes to agricultural tenancies brought forth by the new Land Reform Bill...
Post-death planning
In the realm of tax and succession planning for farmers and rural landowners, the importance of having a well-structured will cannot be overstated. A will ensures that your wishes are...
Cyber Attacks – A wake up call for employers
Cyber attacks are on the rise, with recent figures showing a 50% increase in the retail sector alone over the past year. The recent high profile cyber-attacks affecting M&S, the...
When workplace banter becomes harassment: Legal insights from a recent Tribunal case
In the recent Employment Tribunal case of Mr. S. McGhie v RHT Scotland Ltd, the Tribunal ruled in favour of Mr. McGhie, an openly gay employee, in his claim against...
Supreme Court: Ruling on the definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010
Background This dispute began in 2018 following the Scottish Parliament’s introduction of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 (the Act), which aimed to increase the representation of...
Landlord Rights under Scotland’s PRT Regime: Navigating the challenges of Rent Arrears and Reasonableness
Scotland’s Private Residential Tenancy (PRT) framework presents landlords with significant challenges when facing a tenant who stops paying rent. Recent decisions from the Upper Tribunal for Scotland offer important guidance...
Clarity provided on termination for redevelopment under the Electronic Communications Code
The recent case of Vodafone Limited v Icon Tower Infrastructure Limited and AP Wireless II (UK) Limited has provided further clarity on the landowner’s grounds for termination of a code...
Anderson Strathern launches specialist Inquiries Unit
Our firm is announcing the launch of our new Inquiries Unit with a team of specialist solicitors working across Fatal Accident Inquiries and Public Inquiries. Well known inquiries lawyers Catriona...
Early warnings against interim injunctions in the Scottish courts
If you’re a solicitor working within the English legal system, you might be interested to learn that Scotland’s civil court system shares many similarities with its English counterpart. There are...