Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Steven Blane
Wind farm ruling challenges market practice on environmental impacts
Gary McGovern of Pinsent Masons was commenting after the Inner House of the Court of Session suggested that factoring the impacts of grid connection into EIAs for projects would best enable developers to comply with their environmental law obligations.
ABPI sets out life sciences innovation blueprint for Scotland
The ‘manifesto for health and growth’ has been published by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) ahead of Scottish parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2026. It includes measures aimed at enabling faster patient access to innovative new treatments, facilitating more clinical trials in Scotland, and using data better to further medicines research.
There’s a real danger that SNP’s Budget will not pass
Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy Microsoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Potential Scottish Budget impasse has hidden consequences
Engaging in horse-trading with opposition parties is an important part of the budget process, and the SNP will almost certainly be prepared to make concessions to see its Budget Bill passed, as they have done in years gone by, and before the cooperation agreement was first implemented. However, the backdrop against which this year’s budget is being set is extremely perilous, not only financially but also politically.
Scottish ruling on repairing obligation reminds landlords importance of clear drafting
Earlier this month, the Inner House of the Court of Session handed down an important decision (11-page / 536KB PDF) which re-emphasised key points concerning the interpretation of repairing obligations in leases. Property litigation expert Brian Grierson of Pinsent Masons said that although the court did not say anything innovative or restate the law, the decision serves as a good reminder of key principles, namely the importance of clear drafting to reduce ambiguity.
Court of Session makes rare decision on electronic communications code dispute
While English courts have heard similar cases involving residential rooftops in London, the dispute between Marks & Spencer and Cornerstone Telecommunications (9 pages / 444KB PDF) is the first that relates to the installation of communications apparatus on a commercial rooftop in Scotland. According to the Code, when parties cannot agree on such installations, a court can impose an agreement if certain conditions involving compensation and public benefit are met.
Scots law reform relevant to transactions and disputes to be explored
Steven Blane and Fiona Alexander of Pinsent Masons were commenting after the SLC set out a programme of law reform spanning the next five years (24-page / 2.01MB PDF). The work programme, subject to approval by Scottish ministers, includes projects that will consider the law in Scotland concerning the execution of documents, leases, and limitation – the term used to describe the time-bars on raising a claim before court after the underlying cause of action has taken place.
HS2 protestor’s conviction proportionate with human rights, High Court rules
The Divisional Court said the Supreme Court had made its decision solely in the context of the ‘lawful excuse’ defence to offences under the Highways Act 1980. “Ziegler does not lay down a principle that for all offences arising from ‘non-violent’ protest, the prosecution must prove that a conviction would be proportionate to the defendant’s article 10 and 11 rights,” the Divisional Court judgment said.
Breach of ‘keep-open’ court order is not contempt of court
The Scottish Court of Session has ruled that the operators of a store in a shopping centre were in breach of a court order requiring them to keep the shop open, but their actions were not in contempt of court. In an opinion handed down on 15 October (26 page / 593KB PDF) the judge found the operators of the Marks & Spencer (M&S) store in a in a shopping centre in East Kilbride had breached the terms of the ‘keep open’ clause in their lease once pandemic-related restrictions had lifted.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Steven
Contact Steven, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack