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New domestic violence legislation which includes the creation of a new offence of "coercive control" has come into effect. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan yesterday commenced the Domestic Violence Act 2018, which improves the protections available to victims of domestic violence under both civil a

A review of the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences in Ireland will now report to Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan sometime in the first quarter of the year, the Irish Independent reports. The review, chaired by Tom O'Malley BL and announced last April in the wake of the high-profile B

Tara O'Reilly, co-head of asset management and investment funds at Arthur Cox, has been appointed to a key role at Women in ETFs. Ms O'Reilly, who has particular expertise in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), will serve as secretary of the organisation's global governance committee.

The Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Brendan McGuigan, has been appointed to review pre-release testing arrangements for Northern Ireland prisoners. Mr McGuigan said the review, requested by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS), would be a priority for him.

Ireland is set to ratify a UN protocol on child trafficking, images of child sexual abuse and child prostitution within weeks following a call by Children's Minister Dr Katherine Zappone. The minister said Ireland has now met all the necessary legal requirements to ratify the second optional protoco

Tourism NI has warned that that unlicensed landlords advertising their properties on Airbnb could face court action, after figures revealed a sharp rise in Northern Ireland properties listed on the service. Market research group AirDNA said there were 2,516 Airbnb listings in Northern Ireland in Dec

Minister Josepha Madigan, a qualified solicitor and family mediator, writes on the case for divorce reform in the State. The courtroom is a barbaric venue in which to pick over the carcass of a failed marriage, said Fiona Shackleton, Paul McCartney's divorce lawyer.

Plans to legislate for a minimum passing distance for motorists overtaking cyclist have been shelved on the advice of Attorney General Séamus Woulfe, The Irish Times reports. Transport Minister Shane Ross said the law officer had concerns about how a minimum passing distance could be enforced

The judiciary must become more diverse to address the perception that judges are “beings from another planet”, the president of the UK's highest court has said. Lady Hale said that there should be a more balanced female to male and white to non-white ratio in the UK Supreme Court in an i

Public servants in the State will not be required to retire until the age of 70 under new legislation now signed into law. The Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Bill was signed into law by President Michael D. Higgins just after Christmas, amid trade union fears that it could be dela

Mason Hayes & Curran and Social Innovation Fund Ireland (SIFI) have jointly launched their €450,000 community education project for a third year. The Engage & Educate Fund 2019, supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development, will distribute €150,000 to community pr

An Irish judge wrote to the Government in 1977 to plea for an intervention on behalf of Hitler's former deputy, Rudolf Hess, as a "Christmas good deed". Judge Franke Roe's bid to have the leading Nazi released was revealed in newly-released papers from the 1988 State Archive.

Victim support organisations will benefit from €1.7 million in public funding this year, the Government has announced. The funding is being provided "alongside a programme of wider reform which the Government continues to advance in supporting victims of crime", it said.

A man has admitted stealing a dozen budgies from a woman's home before offering to help her look for the pets - while a couple of them sat on his shoulder. Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Mohammed Rahman, 37, broke into accountant Anne Ferguson's flat with a hammer last April.

The son of a 93-year-old woman, who has been made a ward of court and is residing in a nursing home on the basis of medical advice, has had his application for her release into his care refused in the Supreme Court. The man has been engaged in a multiplicity of legal proceedings in relation to his m