News & Events

In January 2026 we contacted the Scottish Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal, The Lord President’s Office and the Law Society of Scotland in relation to the proposed lowering of the standard of proof from beyond reasonable doubt to the balance of probabilities

To meet the Law Society of Scotland’s requirement that an hour’s CPD on risk management be included in solicitors’ annual 15 hour verifiable quota, we have provided such CPD within our expanding portfolio, free to all our members.

We will not be offering our T.C.P.D. course in January 2026 but aim to resume providing the course in a new and refreshed format in the latter half of 2026.

In December we published the last of four Scottish Law Gazettes for 2025.  Members are encouraged to submit news, articles, book reviews or items for discussion. The Gazette is not a glossy business magazine but a traditional publication for those who do not necessarily want to spend all their time looking at a computer screen.

We publish articles in The Scotsman, on subjects as diverse as Queen Caroline, the Taliban and the SLCC. These appear every 8 weeks, in print and online, and they are a way of airing matters that are of concern or interest to our membership, the profession or the public. We regularly have items on Scottish Legal News. If you have any ideas for future publications please let us know

The Society is always keen to respond to the consultation exercises undertaken by the Government, the Scottish Law Commission and others. In July, August and October 2024 we responded to Consultations on the Tenancy of Shops Act, the standard of proof at the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal and amendment to the Adults with Incapacity legislation respectively. We do monitor upcoming Consultations generally, and anyone interested in assisting in responding is welcome to do so.  

In October 2024 we responded to a Consultation on the reform of Adults with Incapacity legislation And in April, May 2025 and August 2025 on Consultations on Walls of Court Intimation, Simplified Divorce Procedure, Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPS) and officer of court fees reform respectively.

When Covid 19 hampered our ability to organise any physical CPD events, a problem facing all CPD providers, we launched a webcast based CPD program, totally FREE to members and giving extraordinary value for money for anyone subscribing as a SLAS member.

In 2024 our President and Secretary met with the SLCC for a useful discussion of issues affecting the profession.

On 21st November 2023 we attended Holyrood to give evidence to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice committee of the Scottish Parliament on the Legal Regulation Bill. We opposed the idea of state interference in the regulation of lawyers as being a threat to the rule of law, and we proposed that complainers to the SLCC pay a refundable fee to do so, a proposal that was opposed on the day by both the Law Society and Faculty of Advocates.” 

We held our annual lunch on Saturday 24^th January 2026 at the Anchorline restaurant in the centre of Glasgow.

In February 2021 we began writing to MSPs to seek their support for a change in the law so that the budget of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission is approved by the Scottish Ministers rather than by the Commission itself. In our view accountability and transparency demand that the Commission’s spending be scrutinised by someone else. If it is sensible the SLCC has nothing to worry about. This year’s draft budget shows why there needs to be outside scrutiny; despite a fall in complaints, the Commission seeking to impose the same annual levy on the profession as last year. This is wholly unreasonable. 

Practitioners are asked to note that the Law Society of Scotland’s Price Transparency Guidance came into force on 31st January 2021.

Our 2025 AGM took place on 20th June. There was a lively discussion of the Legal Services Regulation (Scotland) Act 2025 and the threats that it poses towards our profession, not least the removal of rights of appeal to the courts on decisions taken by the S.L.C.C.