News

A new research report on the extent and impact of childhood trauma in Northern Ireland has been launched by justice minister Naomi Long. Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have carried out the first comprehensive assessment of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Northern Ireland's adul

Judges have submitted proposals for a 16.7 per cent increase in personal injury awards to justice minister Jim O'Callaghan. The first proposed update to the personal injuries guidelines since their introduction in 2021 will see the award of general damages for the most devastating and catastrophic o

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners have been invited to share their insights with The Bar of Ireland. A five-minute survey is seeking views which will be compiled into a comprehensive, free report on the state of ADR in Ireland in 2025, which will be valuable to both practitioners an

The EU has launched a consultation on revision to state aid rules in order to bring them in line with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention. The European Commission has prepared draft amendments to the state aid Implementing Regulation (EC) No 794/2004 and to the state aid Best Practices Code (B

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Sudanese people are ‘starving to death’, Human Rights Watch says

Lewis Silkin has appointed Emma Wightman as a senior associate and Megan Kerr as an associate in its Belfast office. Ms Wightman brings extensive expertise and experience as a commercial litigator in managing complex legal cases and providing strategic counsel to a diverse range of business clients.

Flynn O'Driscoll has appointed six new senior associates and two new associates across the firm's corporate, litigation and banking teams. The new senior associates are Claire Atkinson, Cian Mannion, Alison Kenny and Danny Heffernan, while the new associates are Éanna Bane and Ryan Hunt.

Cocaine is as harmless as whiskey and only illegal "because it is made in Latin America", the president of Colombia has said. Gustavo Petro, who presides over the world's largest producer of cocaine, claimed that scientists had analysed the drug and come to that conclusion, CBS News reports.

The US is to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) after Donald Trump accused it of having "engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel". The court issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders in November 2024 — which Tr

Donald Trump's shocking proposal for the US to "take over" the Gaza Strip and permanently remove the two million Palestinians who call it home has been condemned by human rights organisations as a "crime against humanity" in the making. Speaking at a news conference alongside Israeli prime minister

Upcoming reforms to the family courts could negatively impact victims of domestic abuse, a leading practitioner has warned as new figures reveal huge increases in applications for domestic violence orders. There was a nine per cent increase in applications for domestic violence orders in the Distric

Ulster University students Conán McGowan and Níall McGrattan have triumphed in the 2025 Northern Ireland regional heat of the Client Consultation Competition. The Law Society of Northern Ireland hosted the contest, which focused on consumer contracts, at Law Society House in Belfast on

Barristers and solicitors seeking to become senior counsel can now apply for consideration this year. Legal practitioners have until Friday 4 April 2025, 5pm, to apply for the grant of a patent of precedence.

Children in Northern Ireland can now avail of an innovative pilot scheme which helps victims of serious sexual offences to navigate the criminal justice system. The children's sexual offences legal adviser (CSOLA) scheme, delivered by Victim Support NI, was launched by justice minister Naomi Long ye

Belfast-based O'Reilly Stewart Solicitors has named Stuart Gilmore as its new managing director and welcomed Aine Tyrrell as a partner in its healthcare department. Mr Gilmore, a solicitor with almost 30 years' experience, has been a partner within the practice since 2012.