Jonathan Mitchell QC

The nascent Scottish Human Rights Law Group is intended to bring together Scots lawyers and those working in and around the law in Scotland with an interest in human rights issues. Its website, in the course of development, is ambitiously intended to provide a database of law reports, articles, textbook updates, and other items, categorised by area of law and by Convention article; there will be ‘contributing editors’ for particular sections, each responsible for updating his or her assigned area of the law and in a position to receive comments, submissions, and suggestions for updating from other parties/members of the group. The proposed categorisations, which are flexible, can be seen by browsing its sidebar. Continue Reading »

The Advocates Family Law Association is hosting a Family Law Conference on Monday 2 March. The keynote speaker is the Honourable Lord Malcolm.

Other speakers are: Continue Reading »

There are still a few places left at the Murray Stable Employment Law Group‘s evening seminar at the Royal Faculty of Procurators Library, Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow, 5.30 pm on 27th January 2009. This is a a free evening seminar which will consist of three short updates on current issues in employment law. Continue Reading »

The Glasgow Immigration Practitioners’ Group, in association with the Scottish Refugee Council and Murray Stable, will run this event on 24th November. Lord Reed will give the keynote address, with Murray Stable members Joe Bryce, Alan Caskie and Ken Forrest also giving presentations. Full details here. The subject matter is particularly topical in the light of the consultation paper discussed in my last posting. Continue Reading »

‘Scots Law has no effective means of dealing with mothers who will not allow contact‘ was the subject of the debate at the Murray Stable’s launch of its Family Law Group (‘FLaG’) on 22 September. I have to say I was – although I spoke against it- not surprised at the thumping majority which voted in favour of the motion, in a vote which was particularly striking as this highly successful event attracted almost every significant practitioner in family law in Edinburgh together with family lawyers from all over Scotland.

There’s a description of the debate on the Murray Stable newspage, and also a handout with notes of cases and other materials. Unfortunately the handout’s hyperlinks don’t work, so I give its final part here with working links. Continue Reading »

This major conference in its field has been organised by the Murray Stable Public Law Group, with Lord Clyde as the keynote speaker. The programme with notes can be downloaded here. The registration fee (which includes lunch) is £50, and seats are available from John-Ross Morland at the Murray Stable.

The programme, chaired by Derek O’Carroll, Advocate, is: Continue Reading »

I don’t normally blog non-legal events, but this Saturday both Parliament House, and the Advocates Library (photos here) (plan in 1852 here; more or less present-day here), will be open as part of Doors Open Day between 10 and 4. Edinburgh Sheriff Court will be open between 9.30 and 4.30.

Home page for Doors Open Day here, with brochure.

Nicely set-out Google map of Edinburgh showing all attractions here; the ‘Get Directions’ feature now allows you to work out how long it will take to walk between any two or more of them.

The Murray Stable has now formed four special interest groups: employment, public law, commercial and insolvency, and family law. The Family Law Group is holding a public launch on 22 September at the Mackenzie Building, which is behind the Fringe Office at 172 High Street, EH1 1QX. Iain Murray writes:

The event has been designed in the form of a debate with the following topic:

“Scots Law has no effective means of dealing with mothers who will not allow contact.” Continue Reading »

The Murray Stable launched its Public Law Group at a well-attended meeting on 29 May chaired by Derek O’Carroll. Ailsa Carmichael and I spoke on “Ten Dos and Don’ts of Judicial Review“. The handout Continue Reading »

From 1975 to 2006, the European Young Lawyers Scheme brought about ten lawyers from all over Europe to Edinburgh for six months. Universally known as the Eurodevils, they were welcomed to the Faculty of Advocates every May to July, and as their devilmaster it was a pleasure to work with Dorthe Pederson (Denmark), Katarína Lenghardtová (Slovakia), Gerda Vastagh (Hungary), Bora Balci (Turkey), Johanna Aho (Finland), Patrick Govaert (Belgium), and Serenella de Lucca (France). Continue Reading »