A sharp slice of what matters in Scottish law
Scottish Edition
16th June 2026
 
THE HOT STORY
Social media ban draws mixed response in Scotland
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that social media companies will be required to block under-16s from accessing their services, with the ban to include TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X, while restrictions on functionality like infinite scroll, and curfews, could be put into place for 16- and 17-year-olds. Scotland's children's minister, Siobhian Brown welcomed the announcement - but urged Sir Keir to "meaningfully engage" with Holyrood ministers to "ensure proposals meet the needs of children and young people in Scotland". The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland, Nicola Killean, expressed concerns over the announcement, however, saying there is a "real risk now that children will be driven to darker places on the internet and stop talking to adults about what they might see".

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THE LAW
Swinney pressed over Supreme Court gender ruling
First Minister John Swinney has faced criticism after saying the Scottish Government would take a "domestic approach" when implementing new Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance following the Supreme Court’s ruling that, under the Equality Act 2010, the definition of a woman is based on biological sex. Scottish Conservative MSP Meghan Gallacher has sought assurances that the guidance will be applied consistently across Scotland and not diverge from the UK-wide legal position. The debate comes amid wider political and legal discussion over single-sex spaces, transgender rights and the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment. The Scottish Government has reiterated that it accepts the ruling and will respond to requests for clarification.

 
INDUSTRY
Ombudsman reports seven-month complaints backlog
The Daily Record reports that emails seen by the paper suggest that the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO) is facing a months-long backlog of complaints. An email seen by the paper says that due to "a significant increase in complaints being received by SPSO over recent months", the SPSO's "current timescale for allocating your complaint to a Complaints Reviewer may now be around 7 months from receipt of your complaint". A spokesperson for the SPSO says it is experiencing "experiencing an unprecedented increase in demand for its service, with a 31% rise in complaints about public services in the last year", leading to "longer wait times for people seeking our help as we have sought to manage significantly increased workloads without additional investigative resource".
WORKFORCE
South Lanarkshire teachers report more violent incidents
A report coming before South Lanarkshire Council's employee, equalities, diversity and inclusion forum has revealed that reports of physical violence incidents in education settings were up 65% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 - from 280 last year to 461. Reports of verbal attacks also rose, from 31 to 38 over the same period. Education incidents accounted for the overwhelming majority of reports of physical violence against staff, although 25 incidents were reported by social work staff, up from 17 in 2025.
CASES
Questions remain over Murrell loan to SNP
Fresh scrutiny has fallen on Peter Murrell’s £107,620 loan to the SNP after court documents showed the party repaid him more than £20,000 on the same day he embezzled funds from the party. Opposition parties have renewed calls for a parliamentary inquiry, arguing significant questions remain about the loan, its late declaration and oversight of SNP finances. Murrell, the former SNP chief executive, has admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 12-year period.
Court upholds Palestine Action terror ban
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the UK Government lawfully proscribed Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000, overturning a High Court judgment that had found the ban unlawful. Five judges held that the restriction was a justified and proportionate interference with freedom of expression rights, citing the group's promotion of unlawful violence. The ruling confirms that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action remains a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years' imprisonment. The decision has wider legal significance across the UK, including Scotland, where terrorism legislation is reserved to Westminster but enforced through the criminal justice system.
POLICY
Foreign workers would cost businesses more under Reform
Reform UK plans to tax companies hiring foreign workers more to pay for a reduction in National Insurance contributions for British employees. The party’s treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said this would prioritise British workers and end "the cheap migrant labour racket once and for all." He claimed the £11.2bn cost to the Treasury would be offset by an additional levy on foreign employees, while any shrinkage in the tax base would be compensated for by a dramatic fall in benefits paid to British workers. Any legal challenge to the policy would be rejected because Reform would also abolish the Equality Act, the Telegraph notes.
HOUSING
Council 'not blocking' asylum barracks proposal
Highland Council has pushed back on criticism from the Home Office around the UK Government's plans to house asylum seekers at the Cameron Barracks in Inverness. While UK asylum minister Alex Norris said the Home Office was in "disagreement" with the council over the latter's insistence that the plans would require a house in multiple occupation (HMO) licence, council leader Cllr Bill Lobban said the council "is not blocking any proposal as no proposal has been received for us to block".
ECONOMY
UK risks £250bn economic loss from high energy costs
Britain could lose £250bn in economic value over the next decade due to high energy costs, according to a report by PwC. The UK has the highest electricity prices in the G7, driven by reliance on imports and a marginal-pricing system. Rising wholesale gas prices have exacerbated this issue. PwC’s Simon Oates said that tackling these costs could unlock significant economic potential.  

 

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