News

Ukraine's top court has dismissed a challenge to a ruling which recognised a same-sex couple as a de facto family. Human rights campaigners have welcomed the outcome in the case, which concerned a Ukrainian diplomat posted to Israel and his partner, a civil society activist.

An Australian court has reversed pop singer Katy Perry's triumph over fashion designer Katie Perry in a trademark dispute. Katie Perry initially won when she sued the singer for trademark infringement in 2023 – but the ruling was overturned on appeal in 2024.

No criminal charges are to be brought against independent TD and former government minister Michael Lowry arising from the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal. Mr Lowry yesterday said he had been told the director of public prosecutions "has issued a direction that there will be no prosecution of me".

An appeal with implications for hundreds of drink-driving cases across the State has come before the Supreme Court. The High Court last August quashed a drink-driving conviction which followed a trial where the prosecution failed to lead evidence on the chain of custody of a blood sample.

Irish and Brazilian officials have opened formal negotiations on an air services agreement which would pave the way for direct flights between the two nations. An air services agreement (ASA) provides the legal and regulatory framework for the operation of scheduled air services.

New legislation is to provide the Defence Forces with new powers to safeguard Ireland’s maritime domain and protect the State’s sovereign rights in its territorial sea and exclusive economic zone. The proposed amendments to the Defence Act 1954 were agreed by ministers today.

Northern Ireland's draft framework for race relations and delivery plan have gone out for consultation. The 12-week public consultation commences today and runs until 3 June 2026.

Personal injury lawyers have urged Northern Ireland's Department of Justice to avoid a scenario where severely injured people are under-compensated in comparison to those in England and Wales. The Department recently carried out a consultation on how inflation should be taken into account when the p

Niamh Muldoon has been named as the next chief executive of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA). Ms Muldoon, a solicitor who has served as chief executive officer and registrar of the Veterinary Council of Ireland since 2019, will take up the role on Monday 23 March.

Hereditary peers in the House of Lords will become a thing of the past under legislation which has now passed at Westminster. The House of Lords will no longer be up there with Lesotho's Senate among the only legislative bodies in the world with a hereditary element following the passage of the Here

A judge has ruled against a couple who tried to reclaim a small area of land by planting a garden gnome on it. England's Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) ruled last week on a years-long dispute between neighbours in Surrey.

The Belfast Solicitors' Association (BSA) has secured a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the Bar of Northern Ireland in the legal profession's twice-yearly football match-up.

A large-scale investigation is taking place into a former PSNI officer suspected of committing rape and other sexual offences over the course of a decade. The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has said it is "allocating all available resources" to the investigation and has warned that this may i

Retired Co Cork solicitor Miriam Morley has passed away. Mrs Morley was a solicitor at Midleton firm W St Clair Rice & Co, which merged with Eoin Murphy Solicitors in 2022 to become Murphy Rice & Co.

New research has identified how effective, trust-based relationships between youth justice practitioners and young people can play a significant role in supporting positive change and reducing offending behaviour.   The study, led by the Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice (R