Insight Hub

• 28 July 2023

Anderson Strathern makes waves in Lerwick

• 27 July 2023
• | Linsey Barclay-Smith

Our top five wild camping tips for landowners – know your rights!

It is well known that in Scotland the public have a right to roam most of the land for recreational or educational purposes. This historic right was brought on to statutory footing by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (the “2003 Act”). Provided there are no local by-laws to the contrary, the right to roam (or access rights as they are referred to within the 2003 Act) may permit leisure activities such as wild camping on private property.

• 18 July 2023
• | John Mitchell

Agriculture’s Transition to Net Zero

The Scottish Government has set an ambition to be net zero by 2045. Net zero means achieving a balance between the emissions produced and the emissions taken out of the atmosphere.

• 18 July 2023
• | Mandy Armstrong

Why wait until it’s law to introduce a neonatal leave policy?

If your baby is born unwell or prematurely, and has to spend the first few weeks or months of life in neonatal care, a recent poll has revealed there’s a 50/50 chance that your employer won’t have a policy in place to support you at what can be a very traumatic time.

• 13 July 2023
• | Lisa Flaherty

R.E.S.P.E.C.T… my testamentary wishes

News recently broke that a handwritten note, found stuffed under Aretha Franklin’s couch cushion, was deemed to be her last Will and Testament by a US Court. This begs the question - could the same piece of paper constitute a valid Will in Scotland?

• 4 July 2023
• | Linsey Barclay-Smith

The Changing Face of Scotland’s Retailers: Some Local Economies are Reaping the Rewards!

More people in Scotland moved from cities to rural areas during the pandemic. While populations fell in Scotland's largest cities, some rural areas saw an increase for the first time in years. New figures from National Records of Scotland (NRS) found the health crisis may have reversed long-term trends.

• 12 June 2023
• | Musab Hemsi

The tidal wave of workplace grievance claims must be stemmed

Who could have imagined a gentle word like ‘snowflake’ could spark such divided opinion on behaviour in the modern workplace? But here’s a summary for those not following the story so far.

• 2 June 2023
• | Robin Turnbull
• | Joanna Arnott

EU law in the UK: What will go and what will stay

One of the UK Government’s aims of Brexit was to restore supremacy to domestic UK law and end the special status of retained EU law within the UK. To achieve this, new laws were proposed.

• 31 May 2023
• | Caterina Capaldi

The UK’s new Subsidy Control Regime

On 4 January 2023 the provisions of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (“the Act”) came into force. This Act replaces the interim regime, based on the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which was put in place when the UK left the EU and, broadly speaking, replaces the previous state aid regime.

• 31 May 2023
• | Fiona Gillespie
• | Matt Crossman

To divest or not to divest? This is a question charities need to consider

The idea of investing for a sustainable future has gone mainstream. Because of this, companies and their management are being scrutinised for their impact on society and the environment, not just their ‘bottom line’ from a financial return perspective. 

• 31 May 2023
• | Neil Fraser

What does the New Homes Quality Code mean for developers?

A friend recently bought a new-build house. It was only after the first heavy rain that she realised that something was not right. An architect acquaintance confirmed to her that, no, the back door should not be flush with the back garden which sloped downhill towards it, and while there was indeed a damp proof course installed, it was below ground level.

• 23 May 2023
• | Gillian Harkness-McKinlay

Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill – what you need to know

The Scottish Government introduced its Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill (the “Bill”) on 15th November 2022. It seeks to make important changes to the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (the “2005 Act”), the legislation under which the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) was established.