The Housing (Scotland) Bill: A Potential New Era for Housing Law in Scotland
It has been a busy year on the housing front in Scotland. In early Spring, we saw the temporary measures protecting tenants from rent…
Claims & Disputes
Material Girl or Material Breach? – Madonna Sued for Breach of Contract in New York
Madonna has been taken to court in New York by two concertgoers who have claimed the singer breached their contract with ticketholders due…
Phone Mast Leases – Redevelopment of land as a defence to new lease terms
The most common enquiries we receive from landowners who have a phone mast installed on their land relate to the network operators…
Mediation in Scotland: Effective Dispute Resolution
I recently represented a client in a commercial mediation where the parties were able to agree a creative solution that would not have been…
Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022
The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 has been passed by The Scottish Parliament and came into force on 28 October…
Introduction of the Short-term Letting Scheme
By 1 October 2022, all local authorities were required to introduce a licensing scheme for properties operating as short term lets. …
Scotland v England & Wales – Giggs trial puts criminal procedure in the spotlight
The jury in the trial of former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs has been discharged after failing to reach verdicts on charges of…
Tweet in haste, repent at leisure - new Scots law of defamation comes into effect
Hot on the heels of the Wagatha Christie saga which brought defamation arising from social media into the minds of many, new legislation…
What’s Law Got To Do With It?
Social media has been alight recently following both the Johnny Depp / Amber Heard defamation action as well as the more snappily titled…
Introduction of Licensing Scheme for Short-Term Lets
Whilst the use of short-term lets can have a positive impact on Scotland’s tourist industry, the rapid rise has negatively impacted local…
Changes to the Highway Code – what do you need to know?
As a pedestrian, horse rider, cyclist or motorist the Highway Code is something to which we must all pay attention. You are legally…
Telecoms operators successful in appeal
The Appeal in the case of EE Limited & Hutchison 3G UK Limited v Duncan has been followed closely by operators and landowners alike.…
Tribunal Decision on Registered Social Landlords and Factor Services.
Earlier this month the Upper Tribunal for Scotland (UTS) released an important decision which means that all Registered Social Landlords (…
“You can’t say that about me” – an overview of the new defamation law in Scotland
The Scottish Parliament recently passed the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Bill which will introduce the most significant…
Housing & Landlords | Private Landlords Update
The private housing sector continues to face many challenges during the Coronavirus pandemic – for example, the ongoing temporary ban on…
Caterpillar Meme Wars – Colin v Cuthbert demonstrates the additional considerations required in modern litigation
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, you will be aware that there is an ongoing litigation involving…
Business Interruption Insurance: Good News for Small Businesses
Many small businesses were forced to close as a result of the restrictions imposed on travel and trade in response to the COVID-19 outbreak…
Covid19 Update | Property Landlords Enforcement of Eviction Orders
In December the Scottish Government banned the enforcement of eviction orders until 22 January 2021 to prevent tenants being put out of…
EHRC Case Emphasises the Importance of the Guardianship Process
This week the Herald reported the settlement of an important case concerning what happens to our loved ones if they lose capacity to…
Housing & Landlords | Covid19, Where are we now and what next for landlords?
In early April this year various temporary changes to existing landlord and tenant laws were introduced in response COVID19. The…
Pre-action Requirements in the Private Rented Sector
The Rent Arrears Pre-action Requirements (Coronavirus)(Scotland) Regulations 2020 came into effect on 30 September 2020.
All…