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At least 135 prosecutors in Northern Ireland have received special training on stalking since new legislation was introduced two years ago. The Stalking Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 became law in April 2022, creating the new offences of stalking and threatening or abusive behaviour. The law also led

An unruly passenger whose behaviour forced his plane to divert has been ordered to repay the airline for the additional fuel costs. In an unusual move, a court in Perth, Australia ruled that the 33-year-old man should pay $8,630 AUD (around €5,200 or £4,400) to the airline to cover fuel c

Public inquiries should be given a clear deadline in their terms of reference to avoid unnecessary and excessive costs, a House of Lords committee has recommended. The Lords statutory inquiries committee has today published a report urging a major overhaul of the way public inquiries are set up and

Matheson partner Mairéad Ní Ghabháin has been appointed to the board of Foras na Gaeilge, the body responsible for the promotion of the Irish language throughout the island of Ireland. Her appointment, along with that of Irish language broadcaster Gemma Ní Chionnaith, was

The new UK government has been urged to protect and enhance human rights and equality standards in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) yesterday launched their 2023-24 annual report on the implementation of Ar

A prisoner in Maghaberry who was denied drug addiction treatment for over three years suffered a breach of his human rights, Northern Ireland's High Court has ruled. The man, represented by Harte Coyle Collins prison law solicitor Chris McCann, brought a judicial review challenge against the South E

Northern Ireland's Court of Appeal has quashed the convictions of a former sub-postmaster linked to the Post Office Horizon scandal. Hundreds of subpostmasters were convicted of fraud and false accounting offences based on unreliable evidence from the Post Office's faulty Horizon accounting system i

A new €6.5 million domestic violence refuge has been opened in Wexford.

An independent review of the Northern Ireland Policing Board is to commence on Monday. Paul Sweeney, former permanent secretary in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, has been appointed to lead the review.

Energy professionals say market uncertainty is the biggest barrier to financing new renewable technologies in Ireland, according to a survey by Mason Hayes & Curran. The business law firm surveyed more than 250 industry leaders at its recent energy conference at the Royal Irish Academy of Music,

The policing minister of England and Wales had her handbag stolen at a conference of senior police officers this week. Dame Diana Johnson delivered a speech at the annual Police Superintendents’ Conference on Tuesday detailing how the UK government plans to improve neighbourhood policing.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Brazil’s human rights minister sacked over sexual harassment allegations

Thousands of obsolete 19th-century laws are to be removed from the statute book. Ministers have approved the publication of the Statute Law Revision Bill 2024, which aims to continue simplifying the statute book and improving its accessibility.

The Law Society of England and Wales could pay Council members for the first time under proposals to be debated at its AGM next month. The move is being considered in response to the removal in March 2023 of a tax break which allowed Council members to claim an annual expense allowance (AEA) worth a

Solicitor Enda Lavery amused followers on LinkedIn with this photograph of the toilets at Downpatrick courthouse.