The top legal affairs news stories from the long weekend
Scotland’s first minister defends Hate Crime Act amid barrage of criticism [The Guardian]
JK Rowling challenges police: Arrest me under Scottish hate crime law [The Times] (£)
Sunak backs JK Rowling in trans arrest row with Scottish police [Telegraph]
Cannabis decriminalised in Germany but rulebook causes confusion [The Times] (£)
XL Bully owner, 40, becomes UK’s first known prosecution for breaching the new dangerous dog ban after police discover animal ‘who would attack anyone who approached it’ in his back yard [Daily Mail]
Holyrood inquiry backs scrapping ‘not-proven’ court verdicts [Telegraph] (£)
Alex Murdaugh is sentenced to 40 years in prison for stealing money from law firm on top of life sentence he is already serving for murders of wife and son [Daily Mail]
US-funded Radio Free Asia shuts down in Hong Kong over safety concerns [The Guardian]
“The SQE1 needs a complete rethinking. Firms should not be scrapping TCs as this course is not fully thought out and there is an inconsistency with prep providers and exam venues…” [Legal Cheek comments]
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