Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill Published
The Scottish Government has published its Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill, which it says will ensure tenants have more security, stability and predictability when privately renting a home in Scotland. Proposals in the bill include: A more streamlined system with no confusing pre-tenancy notices, modernised grounds for repossession and easier-to-understand tenancy agreements. Legislation which will […]
Consumer Rights Act Gives New Rights to Consumers
Consumers who buy digital products, such as music downloads or ebooks, now have new legal rights when these products are faulty. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force on 1st October and introduced specific rules entitling shoppers to a repair or replacement when digital products are faulty. The law will also clarify rules around […]
Civil Court Reforms Come into Force
Tuesday 22nd September marked the start of the new legal year and also saw the official launch of the new All-Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court and the Sheriff Appeal Court. The new courts are part of a package of reforms to Scotland’s court system heralded by the Scottish Civil Courts Review, which found that the […]
Couple Find Loophole in High Hedges Legislation
A dispute between neighbours in Lundin Links in Fife over the height of a hedge has taken a new twist after the owners of the hedge turned it into a row of trees rather than scale back its height, reports the Daily Mail. Neighbours had been asking the owners of the hedge to trim it […]
Statistics Reveal Fall in Debt Cases
The latest civil justice statistics, published by Scotland’s Chief Statistician, have revealed a fall in the number of debt cases being considered by Scottish courts for the fifth year in a row. According to the figures, there were 35,400 debt cases raised in 2013-14, a drop of 46% since 2008-09. Changes in types of borrowing, […]
Progress in Improved Cross-Border Small Claims Procedure
A draft law to improve and broaden the use of a simplified procedure for low-value cross-border claims to recover money from abroad has been informally agreed by MEPs and the Latvian Presidency of the European Council. The European Small Claims Procedure, in use since 2009, is a simplified procedure based on standard forms for recovering […]
Dispute between Neighbours over Height of Hedge
Scotland’s High Hedges Act has been used once again to resolve a long-running and bitter dispute between neighbours, reports the Telegraph. Residents of the village of Buchlyvie in Stirlingshire used the legislation to require a neighbour to drastically cut back a leylandii hedge that had reached around 40ft in height. The height of the trees […]
Sheriff Appeal Court Appointments Confirmed
The appointments of Sheriff Principal Mhairi Stephen QC as the President of the new Sheriff Appeal Court and Sheriff Principal Craig Scott QC as Vice President have recently been confirmed by the Lord President. It has also been confirmed that retired Sheriffs Principal Alastair Dunlop QC and Brian Lockhart are among those to be appointed […]
Private Landlord Report Attracts Criticism
The National Landlords Association (NLA) has spoken out against a recent Citizens Advice study that claims 740,000 households in England live in privately rented homes that present a severe threat to tenants’ health. The report says that these properties have category 1 hazards – the most serious of problems. The report also claims that: 16% […]
Neighbours Resolve Dispute over High Hedges
A couple from Uddingston in Lanarkshire have successfully used the High Hedges (Scotland) Act to resolve a dispute with their neighbour over the size of leylandii trees in her garden, reports the Daily Mail. The couple obtained an order under the legislation that four trees, varying in height from 33ft to 49ft, be reduced to […]
