News

UK rights groups Liberty and StopWatch are taking legal action against Home Secretary Priti Patel over her decision to ditch safeguards designed to limit discrimination in police use of stop and search powers. The groups warned that getting rid of the safeguards risks being unlawful and will result

An attempt by prosecutors in Hong Kong to charge people for rioting or illegal assembly, even if they are not physically present, has been thrown out by the region's highest court, The Times reports. The Court of Final Appeal ruled that people who are not actually at rallies cannot be prosecuted as

Legislation to introduce a new planning process for large-scale residential developments (LRDs) to replace the controversial fast-track strategic housing development (SHD) process has been approved by ministers. The Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021

The Supreme Court has ruled that a medical certificate of injuries allegedly sustained by a victim of assault was inadmissible evidence because the certifying doctor had not examined the victim. It was held that section 25 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the State Act 1997 required a doctor issuin

A&L Goodbody (ALG) has announced the appointment of Aisling Byrne as a partner in the firm's employment team in Belfast, bringing its total number of partners in Northern Ireland to 19. Ms Byrne has over 20 years' experience in employment and equality law, advising on issues ranging from employm

Last-minute legislation to remove this month's deadline to register rights of way with the Property Registration Authority (PRA) will be published "imminently", the government has indicated. Ministers announced in September that they would introduce a “short amending bill” to amend the L

International financial services law firm Walkers has announced the appointment of Jonathan Sheehan as managing partner of its Ireland office with effect from next year. Mr Sheehan, who will also continue in his role as head of tax, will succeed Garry Ferguson, who completes his nine-year term as ma

Two solicitors have been appointed as notaries public by the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. Warrenpoint solicitor Rosemary Connolly and Limavady solicitor Caroline McConnell were appointed to the office with effect from yesterday.

A Romanian politician given a suspended sentence for abuse of authority who challenged the judgment on the basis two of the judges had not signed it and had retired before its reasoning was finalised has failed in his Article 6 appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. In its decision in the cas

More work needs to be done to encourage and support victims of domestic violence to free themselves from abusive behaviour, one of Northern Ireland's top family lawyers has said. Claire Edgar, partner at Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors, yesterday addressed a conference on domestic abuse hosted by

Northern Ireland's High Court has denied leave for judicial review to an applicant who believed that being forced to rely on in-patient mental health treatments violated his rights under Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court held that systems in place to provide ment

Global aviation leasing and asset management business Griffin has announced the appointment of Carolanne Cunningham as general counsel, based in Dublin. Ms Cunningham was previously head of legal for the global leasing EMEA business at Bank of America NA, advising on financing solutions for the cros

Wild hamsters who terrorise the dead have won a stay of execution from sympathetic judges. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that wild hamster burrows in one of Vienna's oldest cemeteries cannot be destroyed, even if they are empty.

Liam Herrick, executive director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), argues that the non-jury Special Criminal Court must be abolished. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has opposed the use of the Special Criminal Court since our foundation. The weakening of fair trial rights and us

Northern Ireland's justice minister has urged the UK government to restrict or regulate online anonymity in new legislation tackling online harms. A Westminster committee is currently carrying out pre-legislative scrutiny of the Online Safety Bill, which will require online platforms like Facebook a