Blogs & opinions
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Human Rights Day: The legislation challenge
For Human Rights Day, Claire Methven O’Brien, Reader in Law in the School of Law, University of Dundee, and member of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, examines the current challenges of human rights legislation and nations' efforts to implement increasingly complex requirements.
Roundtable events dig below the surface of criminal justice reforms
In recent months we've organised two roundtable events to bring together a diverse range of views on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Women and IP: Looking at the stats
This World IP Day, Law Society of Scotland Intellectual Property Committee member, Susan Ferguson-Snedden, reflects on the gender balance in IP law and what we can do to support progress.
Profile of the Profession: Why do we ask you about your wellbeing?
Ensuring a healthy, sustainable profession is at the heart of our work, making it vital we understand as much as we can about our members' wellbeing, explains our Careers and Wellbeing Manager Olivia Moore.
International trade deals post-Brexit: What opportunities do they present for the profession?
Our Head of International, Adam Marks, provides an update on international trade deals following the UK's exit from the EU and the opportunities these may present for the profession.
Alex Ruck Keene Congress, Capacity and QR codes
Alex Ruck Keene QC (Hon) shares his thoughts (and a QR code) in advance of his presentation at the World Congress on Adult Capacity in Edinburgh on Tuesday 7-Thursday 9 June 2022.
Why is the protection of Intellectual Property rights so important?
Gavin Davies, Secretary to the Law Society of Scotland Policy Intellectual Property Sub-Committee reflects on the importance of properly protecting Intellectual Property rights and explores the wide-ranging impacts of their infringement.
Gillian Mawdsley: My experience of attending COP26
Gillian Mawdsley, solicitor and former Policy Executive and co-secretary of the Society's COP26 and Climate Change Working Group, writes about her experience of attending COP26 in Glasgow.
Professor Abbe Brown: My experience of attending COP26
Abbe Brown, Professor in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Aberdeen, is a member of our COP26 and Climate Change Working Group and Technology Committee. In her blog, Abbe writes about her experience as a delegate at COP26 in Glasgow.
"All Human, All Equal" - International Human Rights Day 2021
Fiona Killen, solicitor, member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Constitutional Law Sub-Committee and formerly the Law Society’s representative on the Scottish Government’s Human Rights Leadership Taskforce, shares her thoughts to mark International Human Rights Day 2021
The Scotland Act 1998 and the Supreme Court - what happened?
Michael Clancy, our Director of Law Reform, sets out the considerations that led to two Scottish bills being referred to the Supreme Court and the subsequent sections that the Supreme Court highlighted as part of its ruling.
Planning For Net-Zero
Sarah Baillie, a partner at Addleshaw Goddard, writes about the key role of the planning system in meeting net-zero targets in Scotland.
Becoming a climate change lawyer
Alasdair Cameron is a recent graduate from Edinburgh University's Global Environmental and Climate Change Legal Masters Course and now works at the Law Society of England & Wales as their first Climate Change Resource Adviser within their Policy Team. In his blog, Alasdair discusses his academic trajectory as a recent law graduate entering the field of climate change policy.
Cop26: Protest, policing and the law
Following our conference on Policing operations and COP26, our Policy Executive Gillian Mawdsley blogs about some of the issues to consider and highlights some cases arising from individuals making a protest.
Volunteering as a climate change researcher
Claire McIntyre, a part-time LLB student with the Open University, talks about her experience of volunteering with the university and Environmental Law Foundation as part of a climate change research project.
Our 2021 priorities: Protecting Scotland's crofting communities
David Findlay of our Rural Affairs Committee writes about the impact of much-needed reform of crofting law to support the crofters who play an important part of Scotland's rural economy, one of our priorities for the next Scottish Parliament session.
The Net-zero Journey: time to get off the merry-go-round?
Neil Amner, a member of the Society’s Environmental and Marine law sub-committees and the COP26 & Climate Change Working Group, writes about some of the challenges that will need to be addressed in our journey to net-zero carbon emissions.
Law, Sustainability and Technology: Welcoming COP to Scotland
Professor Abbe Brown from Aberdeen University looks at the themes of making practices more environmentally sustainable, advising clients on environmental sustainability and climate justice, and the potential clashes with other values and laws following the Society’s Law and Technology Conference.
WTO reflections - trade in the time of coronavirus
Our Policy Executive Carolyn Thurston Smith considers how three key themes from discussions at the World Trade Organisation Public Forum in October 2019, on the influence of Millennials and Generation Z on commerce, have played out during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Our flexible working future
Flexible working has gone from a trendy buzzword to the new normal during lockdown. As we publish our flexible working guidance, Elaine MacGlone, Equality & Diversity Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, reflects on her personal experience of flexible working, how things have changed and what the future might hold.
What is important to young lawyers?
The International Bar Association invites young lawyers in the Scottish legal profession to take part in their worldwide survey to understand future trends.
Gender equality progress must continue for the benefit of all
As the Law Society publishes the findings of its gender equality roundtables, Past President Alison Atack reflects on the progress made across the profession to promote gender equality, the work still to do and tangible ways people can help.
VE day and the Hate Crime Bill
Convener of the Criminal Law Committee Debbie Wilson reflects on the effect of intolerance and hatred in a society and the responsibility the legal profession has in preventing it.