Litigation Firm of the Year Finalist

Inksters were one of the six finalists for Litigation Firm of the Year at the Law Awards of Scotland 2008.

Brian Inkster, who was awarded the prestigious Solicitor of the Year award at the Law Awards of Scotland in 2006, said that he was “delighted to have achieved this recognition in what has been a very significant year for Inksters Solicitors”.

The past year saw the successful conclusion in the House of Lords of Moncrieff -v- Jamieson: a nine year long court case on parking as an ancillary right to a servitude right of access.  Inksters represented the pursuers from the hearings at Lerwick Sheriff Court and the Court of Session through to the House of Lords.  The issue was whether the pursuers could park their motor vehicles at the end of an access road on land owned by one of the three defenders.  The House of Lords unanimously held that they could.

Professor Roddy Paisley of Aberdeen University referred to the case as “one of the most important cases on servitudes in the last 100 years”.  Professors Kenneth Reid & George Gretton of Edinburgh University stated that the House of Lords decision “provides a remarkable end to a remarkable litigation”.

The selection of Inksters as a finalist also reflected the litigation that Gus Macaulay has been involved in over the past year including a complex Family Law matter where his Note of Arguments was described by the court as “ground breaking”.

In addition it took account of the firm’s ongoing provision of civil legal aid to Shetlanders.  Statistics from the Scottish Legal Aid Board show that Inksters carry out more legal aid work in Shetland from their office in Glasgow than any of the firms actually based in Shetland.