Legal
Alcohol measures: one part confusion with a dash of dogma
IN A recent article, the police said parents who let their children consume alcohol at home could be prosecuted. This, no doubt, arose as a result of real concerns about drunkenness at house parties, but the article included commentary by a community police sergeant, Alcohol Focus Scotland and the Royal College of Physicians, who all poured scorn on the suggestion that anyone under 18 should be allowed alcohol. AFS said: “Our position is that if you are under 18 you shouldn’t be drinking at all.”
A happy ending to ABS – or are they a bogeyman service?
If a haulage firm can move into legal work, change is already here – and the Scottish profession must be ready for action, Austin Lafferty tells David Lee
Grand plan to conquer a fear of heights – and raise charity funds
SARAH PRIOR has a fear of heights, but in October she will face her demons as she lowers herself into the Grand Canyon to start a nine-day trek.
In the spotlight: Sounds from the Cotton club
Steve Cotton of CCW tells David Lee what lawyers can learn from the world of the arts
Interview: Austin Lafferty, soon-to-be president of the Law Society
IN part one of a detailed interview as he prepares to become president of the Law Society, Austin Lafferty tells David Lee he is more than a song and dance man
All in the preparation: young lawyers’ event aims to build solid career foundations
YOUNG lawyers will be told this week that they are “the shepherds of society” and have a crucial role to play in making sure that decision-makers “do the right thing at the right time”.
Paul Pignatelli and Andrew Farquhar: Right approach key to Olympics
GOLF has its game teed up for Rio, say Paul Pignatelli and Andrew Farquhar
1 commentWould justice be the real victim in televised trials?
IMAGES from the television coverage of OJ Simpson’s trial are etched on my mind: the car chase, the gloves obviously too big. The Suzanne Pilley/David Gilroy verdict suggests we might see more trials or perhaps highlights from them, on our screens. Such a development poses deep questions.
1 commentGangs still winning the drugs war as Mexico looks to the ballot box for fresh solutions
SOME 200 miles east of Mexico City on the Gulf coast lies Veracruz, the country’s main port. Each year, millions of tonnes of cargo pass through its harbours, contributing to an economy which is ranked 14th in the world, just behind Australia.
Getting in early and doing it by the book can reap rewards
MUCH has been written about how to be a more effective lawyer in the modern age. If one was to sum up what most lawyers are seeking to achieve it might be this: how you can get good results for clients and make money?
David Lee: A funny thing happened on the way to the bar
Nick Davies uses comedy to train lawyers – but his points are deadly serious, David Lee discovers
Appeal deadline looms for partners in Ross Harper over judicial factor appointment
THE partners in collapsed law firm Ross Harper have their final opportunity this week to appeal against the decision to appoint a judicial factor to run its affairs.
When enforced retirement is part of the bigger picture
UNTIL April 2011, the law allowed employers to give employees notification that they intended to retire them on or after their 65th birthday.
Mannered examples of an international community
ThE American Bar Association’s House of Delegates, in its Resolution 108, reaffirmed “the principle of civility as a foundation for democracy and the rule of law.” The resolution continues: “When dealing with the public as well as one another, lawyers should set a high standard for civil discourse as an example for others in resolving differences constructively and without disparagement of others.” Further provisions encouraged promotion of more civil and deliberative public discourse in political activities and government.
Firms look to futureproof
There’s more than a meeting of minds to the latest merger, the main players tell David Lee
Julie Hamilton: Expenses claims are much more than a numbers game
AS ANYONE who has ever been involved in a court action will tell you, and as I tell my clients – litigation is expensive. No matter how confident parties and their legal advisers are as to the merits of a case, there is no guarantee of success.
Donna Reynolds: Sack ’em and see is not the best approach
IF I had a penny for every time an employer defended its decision to dismiss without notice with a categorical “I had no choice but to sack him”, I would no longer need to work as I would be very rich indeed. Occasionally, and adding a little variety to my working day, the words “there and then” will complete their statement.
Charities boosted by thousands of pounds in funding after awards
MORE than £13,000 was raised for charity at the Scott + Co Scottish Legal Awards 2012 – a record sum which will help vulnerable children and widen access to justice to those who need it most.
Complaints commission conundrums
YOU might expect persistent critics of the legal complaints system to suggest processes are too complex, time-consuming and costly – but not the outgoing chief executive of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. Yet that is just what Rosemary Agnew feels as she leaves the post today to succeed Kevin Dunion as Scotland’s Information Commissioner.
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Edinburgh
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
