School Play Photo Bans Shouldn’t Stand

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

My latest Yell.com blog is all about taking photos at school shows. In recent years some Councils have tried to ban the practice altogether on spurious data protection or child protection grounds.

BBC Radio Scotland have discovered that there is no coherent policy across Scotland with some Councils making it up as they go along and others weighing in with lengthy policy documents. Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Tam Baillie, has called on the Scottish Parliament to take the lead on some national guidance – so at last somebody’s talking some sense on the issue!

You can read more about this by reading the post: School show photos “legal minefield”.

I was at a primary school production of The Wizard of Oz recently (2nd row – loads of good photos) and the Head Teacher simply stood up at the front and asked the assembled audience “Does anyone object to photos being taken?” No-one was brave enough to raise their hand and it was a free-for-all after that!

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Can I park here? Fine!

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

My latest Yell.com blog is all about the savage increase in the cost of parking unlawfully on the streets of our fair cities. As you know it’s a costly business, issuing parking notices, so much so that your local authority complain that they can’t afford to do it anymore – unless the fines are increased.

And so it is that, in a few short months, the cost of parking on a double-yellow will go up from £60 to £80 or even £100. You can read all about it in the post, which is called “Parking fines to rise in Scotland’s cities”

Helpful. Thanks.

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Legal Awards 2010 – The Winners List

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

So, I was at the Legal Awards 2010 earlier today and my earlier predictions were almost entirely wrong – displaying my depth of knowledge of the legal scene in Scotland!

Anyway, here is the list of winners in full:

  • Private Client Team of the Year: Morton Fraser
  • Property Team of the Year: Simpson & Marwick
  • Training Provider of the Year: Central Law Training
  • Support Team of the Year: Millar & Bryce
  • Employment Team of the Year: Paull & Williamsons
  • Public Sector Law Team of the Year: Biggart Baillie
  • Litigation Team of the Year: Digby Brown
  • Paralegal of the Year: Mary Anne Swan
  • Family Law Team of the Year: Simpson & Marwick
  • Rising Star of the Year: Audrey Dishington
  • Specialist Lawyer of the Year: Ed Watt
  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Lord Hope of Craighead
  • Firm of the Year: Harper Macleod

So, congratulations to everyone, especially Simpson & Marwick, who won two awards and Audrey Dishington of Pagan Osborne, who was a former Trainee of the Year winner and now appears as a Rising Star!

I spent the afternoon in the convivial company of some folks from fellow runners-up Maloco + Associates from Dunfermline, and very much enjoyed the food and the entertainment. After dinner speaker was Kevin Bridges, Comedian, who was very funny – but did raise some hackles when in congratulating Lord Hope of his Lifetime Achievement Award, opined that now he had won it, he would be something of a “fanny magnet”! I am assured that Lord Hope and his lovely wife took the joke in the intended spirit.

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And the winner is …

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

So, here’s my predictions for the Legal Awards later today …

  • Employment Team – Morton Fraser
  • Family Law Team – Pagan Osborne
  • Litigation Team – Govan Law Centre (gotta support the home team)
  • Private Client Team – Archibald Campbell & Harley
  • Property Team – Simpson & Marwick
  • Public Sector Team – Anderson Strathern
  • Training Provider – Law Society of Scotland
  • Specialist Lawyer – Ed Watt, the Shipping law guy?
  • Firm of the Year – Harper Macleod

I will be there at the lunch, so I’ll let you know how many I got right later on.

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Fife Law Centre opens new office in Leven

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

Fife Law Centre has opened a new office in the Adam Smith College in Leven. The move is an effort to increase public awareness of the services provided in other parts of Fife.

The official launch event took place at the College on 11 March 2010. The opening was followed by a seminar held on the topic of “Women’s Rights and the Law”.

Principal Solicitor, Afshan Rathore is quoted in Fife Today explaining that a presence in Levenmouth gives the centre another area to explore and offer help to people in need, with most of their calls concerning mortgage repossessions and employment cases.

She said: “There is a credit crunch and, whether we are in recovery or not, a lot of people are still affected by it – that’s the reality”.

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Forensic Focus

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

You can now read my latest Yell.com solicitors blog post, which is called “Consumer focus on justice reform“, which is all about the latest report from Consumer Focus Scotland (formerly the Scottish Consumer Council).

The report is called “Making Civil Justice Work for Consumers” and is all about trying to make the civil justice system more user friendly, cheaper and quicker to use for ordinary folks – not just for nasty lawyers.

Incidentally, Consumer Focus Scotland also have a very useful guide to Scots education law, written by yours truly, which you can still find at amazon:

Apparently, my book, is frequently bought together with The Six Secrets of Change: What the Best Leaders Do to Help Their Organizations Survive and Thrive by Michael Fullan. Hmmm…

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Board Beyond Belief

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

You can now read my exciting and groundbreaking review of the Scottish Legal Aid Board‘s website in this month’s Journal. The review is called “Help where it’s needed?” and contains some constructive criticism of the site. One SLAB insider called it:

“a very fair and constructive assessment of its strengths and weaknesses”

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Ice Cream Van Man Canned

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

A quick update of Mr. Matheson’s case. I learn from The Metro this morning that Mr. Matheson, the former Head of Hermitage Academy, has been struck off as a teacher for pockling money given by the ice cream van for renting space in the playground.

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Hermitage Academy Ice Cream Van Man

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

Ice CreamThe former Head Teacher of Hermitage Academy, Donald Matheson, failed to appear at his disciplinary hearing before the General Teaching Council yesterday (9 March 2010).

The Daily Record, which covered the story tells how Matheson had a sick note, but sent his lawyer to protest his innocence. The hearing heard evidence in his absence from office manager Mrs. Maureen Purves.

Mrs. Purves gave evidence that in October 2003 an ice cream van moved into the grounds. She said: “Mr Matheson told us the ice cream man would be bringing in money on a regular basis.”

“They would come in on a Friday or whatever day was the end of that school week. It was always in denominations of £10 per day.”

Clerical assistant Ann Holmes gave evidence that Mr. Matheson gave her an envelope full of notes totalling £1,650 the day auditors showed up to examine the books in May 2005.

She said: “He said I was to be sure to bank this money that day and put it under donations from the ice cream van.”

Criminal fraud charges against Mr. Matheson were dropped in 2006 because of witness problems. That same day, he retired on full pension from his £70,000-a-year post at Hermitage.

None of which is in the least bit suspicious.

The hearing, which could decide to remove his name from the register of teachers altogether, continues.

I used to go to Hermitage Academy, though not during Mr. Matheson’s tenure. My favourite purchase from the ice-cream van was those little 5p bags of pickled onion crisps.

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Courts Clamp Cars

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Iain Nisbet

You can now read my latest Yell.com blog post, all about new wheel clamping powers for the Scottish Court Service to assist in collecting unpaid fines. It’s called: New wheel clamping powers in Scotland.

If someone were to clamp our car, I’d be delighted as the value of the clamp would be more than that of the car!

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