In the wake of the Press Call in Elgin on 11 November 2013 which announced Vivien Hendry as the Moray resident who seeks to challenge the validity of Moray Council’s decision to close 7 out of 15 public libraries in the area, questions have been asked about the legal costs which might be involved (see the comments below the Northern Scot article here). Peter Brash of Grigor & Young is Ms Hendry’s solicitor. Getting counsel’s opinion on the prospects of success The first contact was when a group of people from “Save Our Libraries (Moray)” got in touch with Grigor & Young, seeking legal advice about the proposed closures. It was apparent that any challenge would have to be by way of Judicial Review - which is not an area of law that comes up often for most solicitors in private practice. Judicial Review proceedings can only be raised in the Court of Session, the highest civil court in Scotland. The Court of Session sits only in Edinburgh. The way forward was Continue Reading
12 Taxi Safety Precautions for a Happy Night Out
Late one November night in 2003, 20-year-old Stephanie Hammill was with her fiancé when they flagged down what proved to be an unlicensed cab in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. She got in first and the car sped off before her fiancé could join her. Clearly terrified of being attacked or abducted, she jumped from the moving cab and was struck and fatally injured by another car. This tragic case highlights the "deadly danger" of bogus cabs. The Scale of the Unlicensed Taxi Problem in Cities The website Taxiregister.com refers to startling statistics from London that:- about 10 women are attacked each month after taking an unlicensed minicab; and 80% of “stranger” rapes are committed by unlicensed cab drivers. Unlicensed Taxis in Moray In a rural area, it is easy to be oblivious to the dangers posed by bogus cabs. In July 2013, the Moray Council gave out a warning about unlicensed taxis operating in Buckie. In Moray, a licensed taxi can be identified by the Continue Reading
The Best Way to Find a Solicitor in Scotland
The best way to find a solicitor in Scotland? Check for proven specialist knowledge If you think you need a solicitor and you do not either have one already or manage to get recommendations from relatives or friends, the likelihood is that you will do an internet search to find a suitable solicitor. That was the main finding of research carried out by the German equivalent of Which? Magazine (Stiftung Warentest) and published in its March 2013 edition. And it's not an unexpected result. The Proportion of People Searching the Internet for a Solicitor What is perhaps surprising is that internet search came quite a distant third (behind “have a solicitor already” and “ask a trusted person to suggest a good solicitor”) with only 15% of respondents giving that as their main research method. On the other hand, you are probably carrying out an online search if you are reading this … The Top Criterion in Choosing a Solicitor – Proven Specialist Knowledge The survey also Continue Reading
Why are some claims for the same injury worth less than others?
Comparing personal injury claim values can have you going round in circles If you have been injured in an accident and want to get an idea how much your claim might be worth, it’s easy to find sources of information on the internet that seem to be helpful. But it can quickly become difficult to reconcile the awards of damages received by different claimants. Often, you find two people with apparently-similar injuries who received very varying levels of compensation. Why is that? Solatium and “special” damages Personal injury claims are valued under two broad headings: solatium and special damages. In Scotland, your claim for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries is known as solatium (in other jurisdictions, it is often known as “general damages”). Special damages, on the other hand, compensate you for financial losses resulting from the accident – typically, wage loss. So, if we compare two women of the same age who each have a broken wrist of similar nature and Continue Reading