News

Animal rights advocates have failed to persuade a court that an elephant named Happy is legally a person. New York's highest appeals court ruled by 5-2 that Asian elephant Happy has not been illegally detained at the Bronx Zoo, where she has lived for more than 40 years, The New York Times reports.

The Supreme Court has refused permission to appeal in a challenge to the Rwanda asylum plan. The appellant originally applied to the High Court for permission to bring an application for judicial review of Home Secretary Priti Patel's decision that certain people who have made claims for asylum in t

Our regular round-up of deals involving Irish law firms. Submit your deals to newsdesk@irishlegal.com. McCann FitzGerald LLP has advised Irish company Jones Engineering on its sale to Cathexis, reported to be for a sum of more than €1 billion.

The Ministry of Defence has agreed to pay a "significant" sum of money to a number of families of those killed in the Ballymurphy massacre in August 1971. The settlement, announced in the High Court in Belfast yesterday, relates to nine of the 10 people killed in the massacre. Other civil proceeding

Irish business leaders view the "triarchy" of talent, technology and trade as core to their future M&A business strategy, according to a new report from global law practice Eversheds Sutherland LLP. The report, titled Putting the pieces into place: The next drivers of strategic M&A, is based

Geraldine Hanna has formally taken up the role of commissioner designate for victims of crime for Northern Ireland. Ms Hanna, who has over 21 years’ experience in the victims’ sector in London and in Northern Ireland, took up office yesterday for a three-year term with the potential for

The UK government has pressed ahead with legislation unilaterally rewriting the Northern Ireland Protocol agreed with the EU – in spite of opposition from a majority of Stormont politicians. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill was published by ministers yesterday alongside a memo on the governm

British peers have kicked up a fuss about the quality of the heavily subsidised food and drink available in the House of Lords. In letters and emails sent to parliamentary authorities and published by openDemocracy, members of the unelected chamber complained about the amount of salmon and quality o

Big Four professional services firm KPMG Ireland has announced the appointment of John Given, a senior corporate partner at Philip Lee, to head up its legal services business. Mr Given will succeed John Hackett, who retires at the end of October, at the head of a team that currently comprises over 4

A forthcoming conference will bring together experts to discuss police custody in Ireland for the first time. Taking place in Blackhall Place on 29 and 30 September 2022, the conference will hear from gardaí, members of the Garda Inspectorate and the Policing Authority, representatives of NGO

Criminal law barristers are being balloted on action as their legal aid dispute with the UK government continues. Some 2,500 members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) are being balloted on escalating a work-to-rule that has been in place for six weeks, The Times reports.

British businessman Arron Banks, who played a high-profile role in the Brexit referendum by bankrolling campaign group Leave.EU, has failed in a libel action brought against investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr. Mr Banks brought the High Court proceedings against Ms Cadwalladr, a journalist wi

Irish Legal News congratulates our former case reporter Dr Róise Connolly after she passed her PhD viva at Queen's University Belfast School of Law. Dr Connolly's thesis was titled Caught too late and lost too soon: Diagnostic technology, patents and human rights law.

Controversial legislation overriding parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol will be introduced to Westminster today. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill will be presented to MPs by foreign secretary Liz Truss this afternoon, though no debate will take place at this stage.

Employment lawyer Paul Gillen has joined Lewis Silkin as a partner in the firm's Belfast office. Mr Gillen joins Lewis Silkin from Pinsent Masons, where he headed the firm’s island of Ireland employment law team.