A sharp slice of what matters in Scottish law

Reform UK’s deputy Scottish leader Thomas Kerr has reported human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar to Police Scotland over comments made during a protest at Glasgow Green, alleging that they encouraged hostility and went beyond legitimate political debate. Anwar rejected the accusation as a waste of police time and also criticised Reform members who attended the anti-immigration demonstration. Around 1,700 people attended opposing protests organised by Unite the Clans and Stand Up to Racism Glasgow, with disorder later spreading into the city centre. Police arrested 15 people for alleged offences, including assault, possession of weapons, breach of the peace, obstruction and resisting arrest.

 

Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald

Daily Mail (Scot)

Herald Scotland

 

Glasgow City Council is facing pressure from teaching unions to stop pursuing former Glasgow City Parents Group representative Leanne McGuire for more than £40,000 in legal costs. The expenses followed an unsuccessful judicial review challenging plans to cut around 450 teaching posts, which the council later abandoned after widespread opposition. NASUWT and EIS warned that pursuing a volunteer campaigner could discourage ordinary citizens from scrutinising public decisions, with both questioning whether the action was vindictive. The council denied conflating civic participation with legal action and said it remained open to negotiating a reasonable settlement that would return money to the public purse.

 

Herald Scotland

 

Glasgow councillor Paul Carey has urged council leader Susan Aitken to support a statutory public inquiry into the case of Family C, whose children suffered years of severe abuse between 2012 and 2019. Seven people were convicted in 2023 and sentenced in January 2025, while the council has formally apologised for failures by officials and other professionals to intervene. Carey said an independent investigation was needed to establish accountability and prevent similar cases. The council said it had already published a Learning Review because of the case’s seriousness, would report publicly on its improvement plan and was prioritising support for the children’s recovery.

 

Herald Scotland

Police Scotland is considering stronger enforcement against repeated protests outside asylum accommodation after raising concerns that residents’ and staff members’ human rights may be affected. A report to the Scottish Police Authority said officers would assess whether the cumulative impact of demonstrations at locations such as the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk justified dispersal or other action. Police attended 2,190 protests in 2025, a 19% increase on the previous year, with most counter-protests linked to anti-immigration demonstrations. Former superintendent Martin Gallagher warned that tougher policing could fuel violence and accusations of "two-tier policing", while Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said peaceful protest must remain protected alongside firm action against intimidation and criminality. Police also said so-called silent vigils would continue to be monitored because of their community impact.

 

Daily Mail (Scot)

The Prime Minister has said the question of assisted dying should wait until after palliative and social care are overhauled, crushing the hopes of Labour MPs looking to revive the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill in the next session of parliament. The bill proposes allowing adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to apply for an assisted death, subject to the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.

 

Financial Times

Daily Express

The Times

More than half of the director disqualifications since 2023 are linked to the misuse of COVID-19 financial assistance, according to the Insolvency Service, with some 1,683 disqualifications stemming from pandemic-related fraud. The figures were obtained by Weightmans. The Government faced criticism at the time for its handling of the £47bn bounce back loan scheme, which lacked sufficient checks and resulted in significant fraud. Tom Hayhoe, the counter-fraud commissioner, said fraud and errors in support programmes cost taxpayers £10.9bn.

 

The Times

Fraud constitutes 45% of all reported crime in England and Wales, primarily stemming from online platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok, writes Rocio Concha in the Times. The rise of deepfake impersonations signals a new wave of sophisticated AI scams, she says, and despite the Online Safety Act, which became law in October 2023, consumers may not be fully protected until 2027. Ms Concha, who is director of policy and advocacy at Which?, says the Government has yet to impose significant penalties on tech firms profiting from fraud.

 

The Times

Scotland’s most senior trade unionist has urged First Minister John Swinney to accelerate reform of the country’s "regressive" council tax system. STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said workers and councils were being failed by a system based on outdated property values, noting strong public support for higher-value homes to contribute proportionately more. Tax Justice Scotland also argued that the system disproportionately affects people on low incomes and limits fair funding for services such as social care, childcare and local transport. The Scottish Government said it had already introduced measures to improve fairness and was working across parties to build agreement on a long-term replacement.

 

The Daily Record

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Microsoft regarding potential misleading communications about subscription options for Microsoft 365. The probe focuses on whether users were adequately informed about changes to their plans, particularly concerning the integration of the AI service Copilot. Microsoft is reviewing the CMA's claims and remains committed to transparency amid job cuts affecting its Xbox division.

 

The Daily Telegraph

The Independent UK

Glasgow law firm Mitchells Roberton has appointed Derek Hanlan as Tax Director to expand its private client services. With more than 25 years' experience, he will lead the firm's tax offering, advising on inheritance tax, capital gains tax, pensions and wealth planning. The firm said the appointment supports its long-term growth strategy and responds to increasing client demand for specialist tax advice.

 

Press Release

The shadow home secretary made a visit to the French coast on Wednesday to witness police there admit that they have orders not to stop migrants from getting into boats and setting off for Britain. Chris Philp asked an officer why he had allowed migrants into the water and not stopped them. He replied: "Our order is to let them go." Mr Philp commented: "The French say it's unsafe to intervene because people might drown. It's literally knee deep, and in my view that is completely ridiculous." More than 900 migrants have crossed the Channel in the past week, but the Home Office defended its £650m deal with France arguing that crossings are down 45% on last year.

 

The Daily Telegraph