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Reposted by Malcolm Combe

Nearly Legal @nearlylegal.co.uk · 10h

And so it begins... Client telling me that my (and counsel's) advice is wrong and that I need to consider various cited cases that support their view. Which cases don't exist. Client admits used an LLM AI, but comes back to me with further detailed argument, citing other cases which.. don't exist.

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Malcolm Combe @malcolmcombe.bsky.social · 4d

If you weren't up at 7am this fine Saturday, which is totally fair enough by the way, you would have missed me chatting about all things public access to land on BBC Radio Scotland's Out of Doors. My bit starts 52 minutes 20 seconds into the programme www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Out of Doors - Snorkelling Artists, Access Rights and a Historic Sailing Ship - BBC Sounds

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.

www.bbc.co.uk

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 5d

NEW

Why the government was right to take PPE Medpro to court

The state should enforce its contractual rights against suppliers more often

By me, at @prospectmagazine.co.uk

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

Mone was neither a director nor shareholder of that company but she was, from this judgment, its champion lobbyist. At a critical stage, according to the judgment, the PPE Medro negotiator “engaged his ‘big gun’ – contacting Baroness Mone who then took up the fight on behalf of Medpro direct with […] the Cabinet Office threatening further escalation.”

Mone sent an email to the Cabinet Office (which indicates the input of lawyers) insisting a contract had already somehow been entered into. She wrote “the committee sign off, the finance sign off, the verbal conversations on the urgency of goods and the signed returned contract, all constitutes a contract, with a legal and moral obligation on [the Department of Health and Social Care]”.

But this was not correct of law or fact. The matter was still entirely subject to contract. The supplier may well have been incurring costs in anticipation of a contract, but at this stage this was at their own risk. In that email, however, a parliamentarian was falsely stating to the government that a high-value contract was already in place and that the government was thereby obliged to purchase the goods. In fact, the final price had not even been determined. There had not even been a best or final offer.

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Gavin Corbett @gavincorbett.bsky.social · 5d

The Radical Road by Salisbury Crags in Edinburgh has been closed for far too long. Today’s site visit went through the plans for phase 1 reopening from the top end as far as Hutton’s Rock in the south quarry. Due by Spring 2026.

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Malcolm Combe @malcolmcombe.bsky.social · 5d

Looking forward to speaking to Mark and Rachel tomorrow for what I hope will be an enlightening discussion. I suspect I'll be on at 7am, so if you want to listen live it will be an early start (and it's an even earlier start for me...).

Ramblers Scotland @ramblersscotland.bsky.social · 5d

📻 Listen to BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors tomorrow: an access special!

@bjpaddy.bsky.social will discuss opportunities to boost walking, paths & access, as per our manifesto: ramblers.org.uk/ScotManifesto

Also expect @malcolmcombe.bsky.social, @cairngormsnews.bsky.social CEO Grant Moir & more!

Scottish Outdoor Recreation Alliance manifesto

The Scottish Outdoor Recreation Alliance joint manifesto calls for an ambitious “Paths into Nature” programme from 2026-31, backed by a £50 million Scottish Paths Fund, to improve the quality, accessi...

www.ramblers.org.uk

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Reposted by Malcolm Combe

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 6d

PM of Albania having a good laugh with President of Azerbaijan and Macron about Trump repeatedly claiming that he ended the war between their two countries which were not at war with each other.

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Scott Wortley @scottwortley.bsky.social · 6d

Today the scottish parliament is voting on stage 1 of the dog theft (scotland) bill an utterly pointless piece of legislation criminalising the theft of dogs, something which (it will astonish no one) is already criminal. A gesture. I find this sort of legislation inexplicable.

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 7d

No.

For even if the government cannot recover all its damages and costs here, this case is still a signal to current and potential suppliers that it is willing to enforce it contractual rights.

And that is very valuable.

Many government suppliers do not believe the government will ever do this.

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Malcolm Combe @malcolmcombe.bsky.social · 7d

That is the Housing (Scotland) Bill passed by the Scottish Parliament, with provisions for rent control areas, reasonable delays to evictions, tweaks to succession, and more. You can access a PDF of the finalised provisions (subject to renumbering) here. www.parliament.scot/-/media/file...

www.parliament.scot

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Malcolm Combe @malcolmcombe.bsky.social · 13d

I'll be introducing this event, about a famous access flashpoint where the people of Glasgow managed to assert a right of way along the north bank of the River Clyde.

Strathclyde Law School @lawstrath.bsky.social · 14d

EVENT on 15 October at @unistrathclyde.bsky.social with Professor Christopher Whatley. He will discuss his recent book, Harvie’s Dyke: The People, their Liberty and the Clyde, which centres on a 19th century public access to land dispute www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/l...

Event with Prof Whatley, the author of Harvie’s Dyke, on 15 October | University of Strathclyde

www.strath.ac.uk

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Ali Winston @awinston.bsky.social · 17d

No one could’ve seen this coming

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Strathclyde Law School @lawstrath.bsky.social · 17d

NEWS: Our @malcolmcombe.bsky.social was interviewed for the Croftwork podcast. In the most recent episode, he chats about crofting law and land reform.
www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/l...

Croftwork podcast interview with Malcolm Combe | University of Strathclyde

www.strath.ac.uk

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Joshua Erlich @joshuaerlich.bsky.social · 19d

this is absolutely wild

the court *sua sponte* dismisses the case for violating Rule 8(a)

so that means the court, all on its own, looked at the complaint and said it's too long, too scattershot, too arbitrary to even count as a complaint. *never* seen this happen to a private party with counsel.

This complaint stands unmistakably and inexcusably athwart the requirements of Rule 8. This action will begin, will continue, and will end in accord with the rules of procedure and in a professional and dignified manner. The complaint is STRUCK with leave to amend within twenty-eight days. The amended complaint must not exceed forty pages, excluding only the caption, the signature, and any attachment.

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Malcolm Combe @malcolmcombe.bsky.social · 21d

I was recently interviewed by the Croftwork podcast team, on matters crofting law and land reform. You can listen on Spotify or on this website. My thanks to Eilidh (from Camus Consulting) and Donna (from the Scottish Crofting Federation) for having me as a guest. sites.libsyn.com/572695/episo...

Croftwork: Episode 6 - Malcolm Combe

In this episode we chat with Malcolm Combe, a senior lecturer in Scots private law at the University of Strathclyde, having arrived there by way of a stint in private practice followed by a position a...

sites.libsyn.com

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Dave Itzkoff @ditzkoff.bsky.social · 22d

Robert Redford playing a gentle incarnation of death, coming for a frightened old woman in The Twilight Zone episode "Nothing in the Dark" (1962). An extraordinary performance then, terribly bittersweet today

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Malcolm Combe @malcolmcombe.bsky.social · 22d

Adding this case study to this year's Law of Property module reading list at Strathclyde. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Scottish Borders Council begins fresh court proceedings to evict 'African tribe' from new site

Three members of the self-proclaimed Kingdom of Kubala were evicted from Jedburgh woodland but set up a new camp a few metres away.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Medusa’s Wink😉 @medusaswink.bsky.social · Jul 11

Me: i’m Autistic

Them: Oh you take things literally

Me: No that’s kleptomania

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 26d

Followers will not be surprised at "clear advice" being, well, not clear.

Lizzie Dearden @lizziedearden.bsky.social · 26d

In a debate on the Palestine Action ban on Monday, the security minister said it was based on "clear advice and intelligence", and people protesting against the ban "may not know the extent of its activities"

Today, we are publishing some of that advice
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/w...

www.nytimes.com

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Malcolm Combe @malcolmcombe.bsky.social · 28d

I hadn't seen *this* one (thanks), but I have seen similar ones.

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Scottish Land Commission @scottishlandcom.bsky.social · Sep 8

Can tax support climate and land reform goals?

We’ve published interim advice on how tax could:

✔️ cut land-based carbon emissions
✔️ support wider land reform
✔️ raise revenue for national priorities

Read our advice here: buff.ly/dDuS27A

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Strathclyde Law School @lawstrath.bsky.social · Aug 25

EVENT at @unistrathclyde.bsky.social on 9 September with Associate Professor Kume Hideyo, comparing approaches to land use and land reform in Scotland and Japan. Booking and details via Eventbrite. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/legal-appr...

Picture of an agricultural field with pylons and electricity apparatus under a cloudy but sunny sky, with the text "Legal and Policy Approaches to the Use of Public Assets in Scotland and Japan. Hideyo Kume Chubu University (Japan)"

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Lilian Edwards @lilianedwards.bsky.social · Sep 4

Honey, weve all been there.

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Strathclyde Law School @lawstrath.bsky.social · Aug 31

Event at @unistrathclyde.bsky.social on 9 September, with Kume Hideyo (an Associate Professor at Chubu University, Japan). She will deliver a seminar entitled, “Legal and Policy Approaches to the Use of Public Assets in Scotland and Japan”. Details and booking link: www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/l...

Event on approaches to use of public assets in Scotland and Japan on 9 September | University of Strathclyde

www.strath.ac.uk

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Malcolm Combe @malcolmcombe.bsky.social · Sep 1

I heard about this case a little while ago, and I'm intrigued to learn what weight the Court of Session might give the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in what seems to be an otherwise "vanilla" eviction (albeit from someone's home). www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Showpeople family go into battle over Glasgow council eviction

Showman Jimmy Stringfellow is facing the fight of his life - to save his Clydeside home.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Malcolm Combe @malcolmcombe.bsky.social · Aug 29

In theory the new combined court will continue with a flexible approach to site visits and will have more of a specialism for land-y stuff (positive). Not sure how it will work with fees and workload of the court but I imagine that might be a favourable comparison too.

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