Legal news
Marine Bill passed
The Marine Bill has been backed by Parliament, 'heralding a new era' for Scotland's seas.
The main measures in the Bill, which was passed by MSPs this afternoon, include:
* A National Marine Plan to give greater clarity to decision making in the marine environment and encourage investment
* A simpler licensing system to cut bureaucracy and introduce efficiencies to encourage economic investment and growth
* New powers to select and manage Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to enhance marine biodiversity and preserve historic assets
* Much improved protection for seals, including a comprehensive licence system and tougher penalties for those who harm seals
* New responsibilities for safeguarding the health of all Scottish waters out to 200 nautical miles (nm) - in addition to responsibility for marine planning out to 200 nm
"Our seas are home to some of the world's most precious wildlife and stunning habitats, and support tens of thousands of jobs by powering our nation through wind and wave," said Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead. "This new framework will ensure that our seas continue to oil our economy and put food on our tables, however new challenges such as climate change require new approaches. We must modernise in order to meet increasing and competing demands on our seas."
February 2010
SLC report on land registration (date added: 26 February 2010)
Children's Hearings Bill (date added: 24 February 2010)
Unified court administration (date added: 22 February 2010)
Move to strengthen law on stalking (date added: 22 February 2010)
SLC Annual Report published (date added: 19 February 2010)
Home buying and selling study published (date added: 19 February 2010)
Thomson Review - the Faculty response (date added: 17 February 2010)
Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (date added: 16 February 2010)
Eighth Programme of Law Reform for SLC (date added: 12 February 2010)
New law on repossession (date added: 12 February 2010)
Repossessions lower than predicted (date added: 11 February 2010)
First Annual Report from SLCC (date added: 09 February 2010)
Rise in Scotland’s property prices (date added: 08 February 2010)
Marine Bill passed (date added: 05 February 2010)
Simplifying planning policy (date added: 04 February 2010)
Scots support McKenzie Friends (date added: 02 February 2010)
