The Call to the Inner Bar ceremony took place on Thursday in the Four Courts, marking a major professional milestone and bringing the number of Senior Counsel at The Bar of Ireland to 380. Known as “taking silk”, the Call to the Inner Bar marks the transition from Junior Counsel to Senio
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Appointments
See all articlesFoot Anstey has welcomed four new trainee solicitors to its Belfast office. Ben Lloyd, Kerri Robinson, Ben Donnelly and Sinead Donohoe have joined the firm’s two-year training programme, which combines direct experience across a range of practice areas with study at the Institute of Profession
BHSM LLP incorporating OBH Partners has announced the appointment of Michael Crowley as a partner in the firm and head of its new homes team. Mr Crowley joins BHSM from PF O’Reilly LLP, bringing with him a highly regarded practice and experience advising developers, housebuilders, purchasers a
O’Flynn Exhams LLP Solicitors has announced the appointment of Cork native Laoise Kelleher as an associate in the firm’s corporate, commercial and regulatory team. Originally from Cobh, Ms Kelleher graduated from University College Cork with a degree in Law and French. She subseque
Wilson Nesbitt has announced 10 promotions across its Belfast and Bangor offices. In the firm’s senior ranks, Chi Ting Yip and Bethan Ratcliffe have been promoted to senior associate, in real estate and family respectively. Ms Ting Yip’s promotion reflects the continued investment in the
McCann FitzGerald LLP has announced that Sarah McCague has been appointed as partner in their litigation & dispute resolution group, with effect from 5 October 2026. Ms McCague joins the pensions & incentives practice in the firm, bringing experience advising trustees, employers and other st
Professor Joan Loughrey takes up the position as president of the Society of Legal Scholars of the United Kingdom and Ireland (SLS) from today. The SLS is a learned society with charitable status whose aim is the advancement of legal education and scholarship in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Profe
Northern Ireland
See all articlesThe Northern Ireland Department of Justice has launched a public consultation on the use of good character references at sentencing in certain criminal proceedings. Views are being sought on a range of proposals, including the retention of the current legal position, and the introduction of a requir
Foot Anstey has welcomed four new trainee solicitors to its Belfast office. Ben Lloyd, Kerri Robinson, Ben Donnelly and Sinead Donohoe have joined the firm’s two-year training programme, which combines direct experience across a range of practice areas with study at the Institute of Profession
P.A. Duffy & Co. Solicitors is supporting the Ladies with Letters campaign in its call for a full Statutory Public Inquiry into Northern Ireland's cervical screening scandal. Three years after approximately 17,500 women were informed by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT) that cerv
A special general meeting (SGM) of the Law Society of Northern due to take place on Monday 19 October is to call for a vote of no confidence in both chief executive, David Lavery and president, Mark Borland.
Justice Minister Naomi Long highlighted the contribution of voluntary and community organisations in supporting victims and tackling domestic and sexual abuse on a visit to Nexus to hear about the organisation’s Rise Up project, which received funding through the Small Grant Scheme. The Small
Universities
See all articlesDr Victoria Barnes, associate dean of education and academic at the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast has been awarded the 2026 Podgórecki Prize by the Research Committee on Sociology of Law (RCSL) of the International Sociological Association. Established in 2004 in mem
Applications have opened for the UK Supreme Court’s Moot programme for university law schools and law societies. The UK Supreme Court offers 12 graduate law schools and university law societies the chance to have their moot final judged by one of the Supreme Court Justices at the court or virt
The University of Limerick School of Law has launched a year-long programme of silver jubilee celebrations marking its 25th anniversary. Starting out as a small academic unit established in 2001 it is now one of Ireland’s leading centres for legal education, research and public engagement.
Professor Joan Loughrey takes up the position as president of the Society of Legal Scholars of the United Kingdom and Ireland (SLS) from today. The SLS is a learned society with charitable status whose aim is the advancement of legal education and scholarship in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Profe
Former Supreme Court Judge Peter Charleton has been awarded an LL.D. by publication at Trinity College, Dublin. In order to be eligible candidates must show that they have made an outstanding, internationally recognised contribution to the advancement of knowledge and that they have a connection to
Interviews
See all articlesJulie Galbraith, chief business officer and general counsel at Irish insurance broker, Arachas, recently took part in Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo walking nine marathons over nine days and covering 235 miles across Ireland in aid of Cancer Fund for Children. She spoke to Irish Legal News about taking o
The numbers show that data security incidents have ascended ineluctably during the past five years. And according to the UK’S Cyber Security Breaches Survey, cybersecurity is not necessarily getting worse just because a greater percentage of companies are being attacked, but rather the attacks
Colin Cardwell
Naoise Nunn tells Emma Hutchinson how Kilkenny Law Festival aims to make the law more accessible, entertaining and relevant to the public. Next weekend will see the Kilkenny Law Festival fill venues across the beautiful city of Kilkenny from Friday to Sunday. Unlike a traditional legal conference, t
Emma Hutchinson
Ireland’s role as one of the world’s leading aircraft leasing hubs dates to 1975, when the billionaire businessman Tony Ryan founded Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) in 1975. Ryan, of course, was also one of the co-founders of Ryanair in 1984. His venture created a pool of experienced aviati
Colin Cardwell
When Majella Walsh was announced as the recipient of the Munster Regional Sole Practitioner of the Year award at the LEAP Irish Law Awards last month, she says her first reaction was one of some surprise. Those who know her professionally would not have been startled at the news. Noted by clients fo
Colin Cardwell




