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The former justice minister who oversaw the introduction of the statutory offence of blasphemy nine years ago has said he will vote to repeal the constitutional ban on blasphemy today. Dermot Ahern, who oversaw the implementation of the Defamation Act 2009, told The Irish Times that the Act had been

With the sudden passing of Erskine Childers in November 1974, Cearbhall Ó'Dálaigh was nominated as the sole presidential candidate by the three main political parties of the time, becoming the fifth President of Ireland in December 1974. During Ó'Dálaigh's presidency, Lia

A couple have admitted a charge of possessing stolen goods after being found sleeping in an apartment building with a stolen sex toy and packet of custard creams. Nadine Kelbie, 22, and Andrew Mason, 23, were caught with the items, which had been stolen from a flat on the floor below earlier on the

Three men who were handcuffed when they were arrested on suspicion of separate drink-driving offences have lost their appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the lawfulness of their arrest. The District Court judge in all three cases had found that the use of handcuffs in the course of their arrests h

Northern Ireland is experiencing an "unprecedented surge" in M&A activity in spite of a decline in the overall number of deals, a new report has found. There were 128 transactions worth a total of £2.03 billion in the first nine months of 2018, a 37.7 per cent increase in value over the sa

The Attorney General of Ireland, Séamus Woulfe SC, will join a distinguished panel of human rights lawyers to address the annual lecture of the Hibernian Law Journal next week. “One Island, Two Systems: The Future of Rights Post-Brexit” will take place at the Law Society's headqua

Derry solicitor Damien McDaid has been found not guilty of eight charges of legal aid fraud, the Belfast Telegraph reports. Mr McDaid was alleged to have submitted fraudulent legal aid claim forms for his personal benefit while working as a sole practitioner between July 2010 and December 2011.

The recently-appointed Inspector of Prisons, Patricia Gilheaney, will tomorrow address the launch of the Irish Penal Reform Trust's (IPRT) second annual report benchmarking progress in Ireland's penal system. The Progress in the Penal System 2018 report will provide a "comprehensive analysis" of the

Legal rights group FLAC hosted a significant one-day conference on the legal implications of the public sector duty in Dublin on Friday.

Donal Dunne, associate in the dispute resolution team at Eugene F. Collins, writes on a recent High Court decision clarifying Irish law on litigation privilege over witness statements. The High Court has clarified the extent to which litigation privilege exists over witness statements in Irish law i

This year's European Lawyers' Day (ELD) is focusing on the role played by lawyers in upholding the rule of law and defending citizens' interests.

A couple whose properties in Dublin and Bulgaria, along with €72,000 in cash, were frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act have been refused legal aid by the High Court. In November 2016, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) secured freezing orders against Jason Boyle and his parents Laurence and Ro

A Scottish worker afraid of cotton wool has won a £9,000 payout after colleagues put cotton balls down his shirt, The Times reports. David Burns, 40, has sidonglobophobia – a fear of cotton wool. He was sacked after he reacted to a provocation from colleagues which included being hit wit

The European Parliament has backed plans to ban single-use plastic items - including straws, cotton buds, plates and cutlery - in the EU within three years. The measures, agreed by MEPs by 571-53 with 34 abstentions, are part of a bid to cut down on marine litter, which is mostly (70 per cent) made

Thousands of sheep have been shepherded through the streets of the Spanish capital in defence of farmers' rights to use an ancient shepherding route. Under an agreement struck in 1418, farmers were allowed to move their livestock along a then-countryside route in exchange for a small fee.