The final week of August marked the conclusion of the WS Summer Scholar Programme 2026. We were delighted to welcome nine students over the course of the summer, who together delivered three outstanding CPD events showcasing their research into critical contemporary issues within the Scottish legal system. Throughout their projects, the scholars were supported by the Society’s executive team and had the opportunity to meet with eleven members of the Society, whose insights helped to enrich their research.
SCOTLAND’S ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STRATEGY 2026-31
Pictured: Angus Gibson (University of Glasgow), Maria Macfie (Abertay University) and Oumer Tariq (University of Stirling).
Our final group of scholars focused their research on Scotland’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026-31. Their report examined the Strategy’s legal implications in three areas: the environment, intellectual property and liability for AI-related harm. It assesses whether Scotland’s existing legal framework is capable of managing the opportunities and risks created by AI.
An excerpt from their report can be read below:
A key issue concerns the use of copyrighted material to train AI models. Developers may scrape large quantities of creative content, while rights holders may argue that this involves unauthorised copying. The uncertainty is illustrated by Getty Images v Stability AI, where Getty was unable to establish that the Stable Diffusion model itself constituted an infringing copy of its images. The German courts adopted a different approach in GEMA v OpenAI, finding that the reproduction of protected song lyrics by OpenAI’s models constituted infringement.
PROTECTING VICTIMS & WITNESSES
Pictured: Amina Shahid (Glasgow Caledonian University), Emma Gilmour (University of Glasgow) and Elise Douglas (University of Edinburgh).
Our first group of scholars focused their research on the protection of vulnerable witnesses. Their report provides a timely examination of the reforms introduced by the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, exploring how these legislative changes are reshaping court procedures and the support available to those engaging with the justice system.
An excerpt from their report can be read below:
Rape Crisis Scotland has welcomed the creation of the specialist court, arguing that it has the potential to improve the experiences of survivors of sexual violence, many of whom have expressed dissatisfaction with the existing court process.
"At the court…it’s as if you’re invisible, or you don’t matter." — Participant 7
In support of this position, Rape Crisis Scotland points to the successful operation of a comparable specialist court in New Zealand, where dedicated judges and the increased use of special measures have contributed to a more trauma-informed approach to hearing evidence.
In contrast, the Law Society of Scotland has criticised the establishment of the specialist Sexual Offences Court as a matter of principle. It argues that creating a specialist court risks causing unnecessary complexity in the judicial system and has expressed concerns about the potential impact on the efficiency and administration of criminal proceedings.
POLICE ETHICS, CONDUCT & SCRUTINY
Pictured: Lucy Gallacher (University of Glasgow), Peter Fairhurst (University of Dundee) and William Boagey (University of Aberdeen).
Our second group examined the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025, seeking to answer the question: To what extent do a duty of candour and a code of ethics change the culture of Police Scotland?
Their report offers a thoughtful analysis of this significant legislative reform, considering its potential impact on police accountability, professional standards and public confidence in policing, alongside the evolving framework for oversight and scrutiny in Scotland.
An excerpt from their report can be read below:
The year is 1819, and The Broom Scandal has no sooner swept through the City of Edinburgh then it is swept under the rug. Established under the Edinburgh Police Act of 1805, city constables were respected members of the mercantile class, selected for integrity, and fairness.
Until an independent annual audit by the Cleansing Committee stumbled upon a fraudulent scheme. A barred police sergeant, Forsyth, had conspired with the Principal Police Clerk to create phantom bills for brooms. Over a six-year period, the force allegedly purchased 169,572 brooms, the equivalent of £100,640.08 of today's money, at the public's expense.
The 1819 Broom Scandal is the first example of institutional misconduct in new Scottish policing. Two centuries later, as we approach the fourteenth anniversary of Police Scotland, the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 ("PECS"), addresses the same institutional weaknesses by embedding ethical policing standards in law and strengthening independent scrutiny.
William recalls his time at the Society fondly: “Delighted to have spent two fantastic weeks as a Summer Scholar with the Society in Edinburgh. Together, we produced and delivered a digital CPD presentation for external delegates before publishing our accompanying written report. From the outset, I wanted to make the most of the Society's world-class historical archive to explore the deeper context behind contemporary legal reform. Along the way, my research took me from the Hillsborough disaster to the Domesday Book, from the Broom Scandal of 1819 to the death mask of Sir Walter Scott. The scheme was a unique opportunity to combine rigorous legal analysis with creative multimedia storytelling.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Applications for our next batch of Summer Scholars will open in April 2027.