Weekly roundup of Scots law in the headlines including Scottish KC cleared of misconduct — Monday June 15

You weekly roundup of Scots law in the headlines including the case of a top Scottish KC cleared of professional misconduct.

UPDATE 18/06/26: This summary and the BBC article about Andrew Smith KC have been updated after the Faculty of Advocates clarified that the Court of Session ruling related to the decision of the disciplinary tribunal, and that the original decision of the committee remains in place until a fresh appeal is heard.

Judge quashes disciplinary tribunal decision in Scottish KC case

A top lawyer found guilty of professional misconduct has won the first round of a battle to clear his name, an updated BBC report explains.

Andrew Smith KC was censured by the Faculty of Advocates complaints committee in 2024 over his conduct in a civil dispute about a gay dating app.

Smith failed in his first bid to overturn the finding last year, when the faculty's discipline tribunal rejected an appeal.

• Top Scottish KC cleared of professional misconduct (BBC)

• Andrew Smith KC vindicated in Court of Session challenge over dating app misconduct ruling (Scottish Legal News)

• [£] Senior lawyer overturns misconduct ruling in gay dating apps case (The Times)

AI is ‘entering the courtroom to stay’ - but won’t replace judges, says Scotland's most senior judge

Artificial intelligence is “entering the courtroom to stay” and judges and legal professionals need to adapt if its benefits are to be realised, Scotland’s most senior judge has said, reports LBC.

• AI is ‘entering the courtroom to stay’ - but won’t replace judges, says Scotland's most senior judge (LBC)

• Lord Pentland: AI could lead to faster and more efficient justice system (Scottish Legal news)

• Glasgow lawyers warned as AI enters Scottish courts (Glasgow Times)

And in other news

Legal headlines from across the UK and beyond:

• [£] Former staff of crisis-hit Fife solicitors come together to form new law firm (Courier)

• Farm decides to slaughter 271 cattle after inspection found rule breach (BBC)

• SNP moves to ban mobile phones from Scottish schools under new law (Herald)

• Enter can ban: Council knocks back Metallica gig beer plan (BBC)

• Scottish Parliament rejects call for Peter Murrell inquiry (BBC)

• Can common sense replace Equality Act protections, as Kemi Badenoch suggests? (Guardian)

• Pro-Palestine activists sentenced as terrorists over damage at Israeli arms factory in UK (Guardian)

• Blake Lively awarded legal fees but no damages in Justin Baldoni dispute (Guardian)

• US legal showdown looms over ‘heinous’ nitrogen gas after supreme court blocks execution (Guardian)

• [£] David Lammy summons AI legal robots to crack crown court backlog (Times)

• [£] Justice committee finds no evidence to back curbs on jury trials (Times)

• [£] Lawyer who told Ocado rival to ‘burn’ evidence suspended for two years (Times)

• [£] Police did not give CPS full evidence on David Sullivan (Times)