United Kingdom: Land Law & Agriculture

The agricultural sector faces the highest rate of non-fatal injuries among all measured industries, with 28 work-related fatalities recorded in 2024/25. This analysis examines the primary causes of farm accidents—from livestock attacks to machinery incidents—and outlines the legal duties placed on landowners and employers under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, while providing practical risk mitigation strategies to prevent workplace injuries and protect both workers and the public.

Petra Grunenberg, Head of Rural Property and Business at Shepherd and Wedderburn, discusses the mounting challenges facing Scotland's rural sector as legislative changes converge with political uncertainty. With inheritance tax reforms, land reform legislation, and subsidy scheme overhauls all progressing simultaneously, she explains why rural business owners must seek professional advice now rather than wait for clarity.

Climate change is reshaping Scotland's water landscape, making riparian rights—the legal rights of landowners over rivers flowing through their property—increasingly important for developers and property owners. This article explores the complex framework of Scottish water law, from ancient Roman origins to modern hydroelectric schemes, and examines how competing interests over this finite resource may lead to future legal reforms.

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 has now been passed. It introduces significant changes to the sale of large landholdings, which will now be subject to mandatory lotting decisions...

As winter is coming to a close, before we greet a new spring, we look back at what has been a challenging year for the rural sector.

With the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill now passed, the land management obligations for large landowners have been more clearly defined.

The online event discussed community-driven approaches to land management, with presentations from experts on community land trusts (CLTs), biodiversity net gain (BNG), and legal considerations. Key takeaways included the importance of local engagement, the benefits of CLTs, and the potential of BNG. Future discussions will focus on food production, charity involvement, and the CLT model for nature recovery. Attendees expressed interest in more case studies and further opportunities for collabor

Since the publication of Jim O'Neill's 2016 report on AMR, several recommendations have seen partial implementation, while others still require attention...

Ten years ago gene editing plants was far from commonplace – indeed, the first CRISPR edited mammalian cells had only just been achieved. Fast-forward ten years and a search for gene edited crops lists numerous...