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A newly-released document reveals that Northern Ireland's lord chief justice for most of the 1970s and 1980s was described to the Irish government as a sectarian antisemite. Mr Justice Robert Lowry, later Baron Lowry, "dislikes Jews as much as he dislikes Catholics", an official in the Department of

Solicitor Aisling Quilter has been appointed as coroner for Kerry. Ms Quilter's appointment completes the amalgamation of the Kerry North and West coronial districts with the Kerry East and South coronial districts.

An Bord Pleanála is continuing to grapple with a large backlog of planning cases, with over 1,600 cases on hand at the end of November 2024. The backlog — attributed to the shortage of board members in 2022 — has been reduced, with the number of cases on hand down by 37 per cent f

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has been given responsibility for enforcing the EU Data Governance Act (DGA) in Ireland. The DGA aims to increase trust in data sharing by establishing a harmonised framework for data sharing and setting out certain basic requirements for wha

The Law Society of Northern Ireland is now formally represented within the Law Society of Ireland for the first time in its century-long history. Since 1921, five seats have been reserved on the Council of the Law Society of Ireland for representatives from its northern counterpart — but have

Thieves in England stole around 20,000 litres of Guinness as pubs and shops struggled with a pre-Christmas shortage of Ireland's most famous export. A truck carrying 400 kegs, each filled with 50 litres of the stout, was stolen from a depot in Northamptonshire in mid-December, according to The Guard

Barrister Kenneth Fogarty SC passed away late last year after a brief illness. Mr Fogarty called to the Bar in 1988 and to the Inner Bar in 2001, practising mainly in the criminal courts in Dublin.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. South Korea investigators halt Yoon arrest attempt | DW

Partners at London law firms are managing to double or triple their pay by moving firms amid intense competition caused by unprecedented investment by US firms, according to a new report. Legal recruitment consultancy Edwards Gibson said there were 546 partner hires in London in 2024, up from 510 in

Legislation providing for harsher sentences for crimes motivated by hatred has come into effect. The commencement of the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 from 31 December 2024 marks the first time in the history of the State that hate-aggravated offences will be treated differently.

An eight per cent increase in criminal legal aid fees has come into effect with the beginning of the new year. The €9 million boost in funding was announced in the wake of an unprecedented withdrawal of services by criminal barristers over three days last summer.

Helen McEntee is unlikely to stay on as justice minister in the next government, according to reports. Coalition talks between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and others are under way following last month's election, but few expect there to be a new government before Irish Legal News returns from the

Northern Ireland firm McKees has reported a 20 per cent growth in business over the course of 2024. The firm this year welcomed eight new team members and moved to a new 7,500 sq ft office in Belfast's Linenhall Building.

The Central Bank of Ireland has established a dedicated fitness and probity unit. The fitness and probity regime is a critical element of financial regulation, protecting the public interest by ensuring that people who work in key positions in a financial firm are competent and capable, honest, ethi

Some 138 prisoners have been granted varying periods of temporary release this Christmas. Prisoners — typically nearing the end of their sentences — can be granted periods of release from a few hours up to seven nights under the Criminal Justice Act 1960.