Weekly roundup of Scots law in the headlines including latest on case of Police Scotland giving alleged rapist mobile data of PC victim — Monday April 27

This week's review of all the latest headlines from the world of Scots law and beyond includes report on 4,700 incidents Police Scotland decided were too minor to report to watchdog including rape survivor's phone shared with alleged attacker.

Giving phone contents to alleged rapist among 4,700 breaches deemed too minor to report

A data breach which saw the entire contents of a rape survivor’s phone shared with her alleged attacker was just one of more than 4,700 incidents that Police Scotland decided were not serious enough to report to the information watchdog, writes STV News.

Last month, the Information Commissioner’s Office fined the force £66,000 after it wrongfully handed six unencrypted discs of detective constable Lianne Gilbert’s mobile phone data to her alleged rapist, his police federation representative and his solicitor in 2022.

In a letter, a police data officer said that the breach “did not meet the statutory notifiable requirements” for Police Scotland to report itself to the Information Commissioner (ICO).

• Giving phone contents to alleged rapist among 4,700 breaches deemed too minor to report (STV News)
• [Background] My phone contents were shared with the police colleague I accused of rape (BBC)

Former banker jailed for stealing thousands of pounds from business clients

A banker who stole almost a quarter of a million pounds from business clients has been sentenced, confirms Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

• Former banker jailed for stealing thousands of pounds from business clients (COPFS)
• [£] Ex-RBS banker sentenced over bribery linked to GRG scandal (Financial Times)
• HMA v Stuart Holloway (Sentencing Statement)
• RBS bank manager who bribed vulnerable customers to pay him £270,000 jailed (Edinburgh Evening News)
• Crooked RBS manager who stole £250,000 from customers is jailed (Daily Record)

And in other news

Legal headlines from across the UK and beyond:

• IT consultant husband accused of driving his wife to suicide through 'tsunami of abuse' is CLEARED (Daily Mail)
• Former Falkirk chairman sentenced for possessing obscene videos (BBC)
• Prolific unregulated sperm donor loses UK legal fight to be named as child’s father (Guardian)
• [£] Lib Dems call for crackdown on domestic abuse law delay (Herald)
• EU’s top court finds Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law in breach of key values (Guardian)
• [£] UK financial watchdog raids crypto traders’ properties in London (Financial Times)
• Leaked Memos Reveal Just How Much the Supreme Court Has Betrayed the Constitution (Esquire)
• 'Most aggressive lawyers in London' in Winehouse auction litigation (Gazette)
• [£] Elite law firm Sullivan & Cromwell admits to AI ‘hallucinations’ (Financial Times)
• Sullivan & Cromwell apologises after AI hallucinations appear in court document (Legal Cheek)
• [£] Heiress wins case to undo £1.2m inheritance tax blunder on estate (Times)
• [£] Church that tells people ‘you’re going to hell’ appeals against ban (Times)
• Law firms accused of misleading clients with blanket five-star reviews (Gazette)
• [£] Optical Express accused of ‘character assassination’ on activist (Times)
• Junior lawyer development at risk as AI takes over volume work, research warns (Legal Cheek)
• 'Legendary' housing solicitor Giles Peaker dies after short illness (Gazette)