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Anderson Strathern’s parliamentary and public law group acts for the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. Fiona Killen heads the group.

DLA Piper Scotland LLP’s parliamentary and public sector group is headed by Hazel Moffat, who ‘picks up issues quickly and thoroughly, and cuts to the chase’. Moffat remains an appointee to the Scottish parliament’s legislative drafting panel. The practice is also advising the Scottish Funding Council regarding higher education tuition fees, while other clients include the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland, and Transport Initiatives Edinburgh.

McGrigors LLP has a well-established reputation in public law and public policy work; the team, led by the ‘measured, experienced and well-connected’ Alastair Ross, has ‘excellent in-depth knowledge of Scottish parliamentary process and procedures’. Michelle Cullis joined the team in 2010 from parliamentary monitoring agency NewsDirect.

Biggart Baillie LLP’s team in this area is ‘excellent, with perceptive and in-depth sector knowledge’. Practice head Neil Amner is well regarded for his experience and contacts. The team is external legal adviser to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, and has advised the Scottish and Glasgow Chambers of Commerce on transport and environmental policy positions.

Harper Macleod LLP’s parliamentary and public affairs team is headed by the highly regarded Derek Hogg, with James McMorrow also ‘very capable’. The group provides commercial and contracts legal services for the Scottish Government Legal Directorate.

Michael Dean leads Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s parliamentary and public affairs team, which sits on legal panels of the Scottish government and the UK government (OGC Buying Solutions Legal Service).

Brodies LLP provides ‘good, efficient and attentive service’, advising clients on parliamentary powers and acting for global insurers in litigation that raises significant Scottish constitutional law issues. Practice head Christine O’Neill has ‘considerable experience’, and Roger Cotton is ‘extremely reliable, flexible and good on dealing with key issues and the detail’.

Dundas & Wilson CS LLP’s public affairs team, led by London-based Colin Boyd QC, has expertise including promoting and implementing private bills. Highlights included acting for the National Grid on the legal framework for a proposed Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project. Key clients include the Scottish Government Legal Directorate, Transport Scotland, Historic Scotland, and Land Securities.

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Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW

  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW

  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW

  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW

  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW

  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW

  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

Press Releases in the UK

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