Reading Time: 4 minutes The UK Supreme Court recently ruled in the Steinfeld and Keiden case, that the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (2004 Act), which allows civil partnerships for
The future for fish – issues in the UK White Paper
Reading Time: 4 minutes The long awaited UK Government Fisheries White Paper Sustainable Fisheries for Future Generations was published last week. This blog highlights some of the issues in
A new approach to women offenders in Scotland
Reading Time: 5 minutes Where were we? Scotland has come a long way in its approach to women offenders in recent years. For example, until the mid 2000s, women
SPICe FAQ – Smoking Outside Hospitals
Reading Time: 3 minutes We have had quite a few enquiries about what the laws are regarding smoking outside hospitals. Is it illegal to smoke outside hospitals? Currently, no,
Guest blog – A Scottish Publicly Owned Energy Company?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Ragne Low from the Centre for Energy Policy at the University of Strathclyde presents a scoping note, commissioned by the Parliament’s Economy, Jobs and Fair
The Legal Protection of Beavers in Scotland
Reading Time: 4 minutes In November 2016, following months of debate, the Scottish Government announced that beavers will receive legal protection, subject to a Parliamentary vote. Roseanna Cunningham MSP,
Scotland: not in shock
Reading Time: 4 minutes What do the latest statistics (Q1 2018) on economic growth tell us? The latest figures on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Scotland, for the 1st
Legislating for withdrawal from the European Union – where are we now?
Reading Time: 6 minutes Preparing the statute book for leaving the European Union Both the UK and Scottish Governments have passed legislation ahead of the UK’s departure from the
SPICe FAQ – Patient Transport Services
Reading Time: 4 minutes SPICe regularly receives enquiries relating to patient transport services for those who need support to reach healthcare appointments. The majority of patient transport services in Scotland
Guest blog – Attracting migrants to Scotland: research results
Reading Time: 4 minutes Dr Paulina Trevena presents the results of a SPICe and University of Glasgow research project: ‘Attracting and retaining migrants in post-Brexit Scotland: is a social