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The European Commission has extended Ireland's derogation under the Nitrates Directive for a further three years. The three-year extension, beginning 1 January 2026, is subject to additional conditions, including the evaluation of environmental impacts.

The Legal Aid Board is encouraging families across Ireland to use the Christmas period to have conversations with loved ones about decision-making as they grow older and face changing health needs. New plain-English videos and guides have been launched as part of a national awareness campaign called

William Fry lawyers Mary Cooney, Margaret Muldowney and Barry Murphy examine legislative plans to regulate home support providers. On 9 December 2025, the Cabinet approved the publication of the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025. Subsequently, on 16 December 2025, the bill was in

Lawyers acting for pro-Palestinian activists on hunger strike while remanded in UK prisons have launched legal action against the government's continued refusal to meet with them. London law firm Imran Khan & Partners said yesterday it had sent a letter before action addressed to the justice sec

Six men in England have been charged with more than 60 sexual offences against one adult victim over a 13-year period. Philip Young, 49, formerly from Swindon but now living in Enfield, has been charged with 56 sexual offences, including multiple counts of rape, administering a substance with intent

A restaurant is facing legal action from an angry adulterer after uploading a video which inadvertently exposed him dining with his affair partner. Italian consumer rights group Codacons is seeking damages on behalf of the 42-year-old man from Catania, Sicily, The Times reports.

Amazon has again failed in a bid to stay defamation proceedings brought by media lawyer Paul Tweed in relation to a book published in 2023. Mr Tweed is suing the online retail giant as well as Georgetown University Press, the publisher of Dr Andreas Kreig's 2023 book Subversion: The Strategic W

Scottish government ministers are considering changes to smoking ban legislation to allow the smoking of crack cocaine within supervised drug consumption facilities. Glasgow City Council has asked the Scottish government to allow the UK’s first officially sanctioned drug consumption room, know

Three lawyers from north and south of the border have been recognised at the European Legal Awards 2025. Olivia O'Kane, David O'Malley and James Stewart were among those recognised at the awards ceremony in Rome at the end of November.

Ministers have approved legislative plans to restrict the disclosure of counselling records in sexual offence trials as an "initial step in reforming the law in this area". Disclosure hearings in such cases will become mandatory under provisions included in the wide-ranging Criminal Law and Civ

A crucial part of the legal framework for the free flow of personal data between the EU and the UK post-Brexit has been extended until 2031. The European Commission has renewed the two 2021 adequacy decisions under which the UK's legal framework for data protection is recognised as meeting standards

Ireland has formally ratified the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. By ratifying, Ireland has become the 82nd party to the Convention, which was adopted in November 2001 at the 31st UNESCO General Conference.

The Supreme Court is to rule next year on joined cases concerning the right to Irish citizenship by descent of children born to same-sex parents abroad. The State is appealing a High Court ruling handed down in April in the joined cases of X and Y, in which Ms Justice Siobhán Phelan identifie

Santa and his elves have shoplifted huge volumes of food to share with the needy at Christmastime. Police in Montréal, Canada say "masked and disguised individuals" stole food worth around $3,000 CAD (around €1,855 or £1,620) from a supermarket last week, CBC reports.

FLAC has recognised dozens of volunteers and human rights defenders with its annual Golden Pin awards. The awards are presented every year as part of FLAC's annual justice lecture, delivered last week by renowned human rights lawyer and academic Professor Colm Ó Cinnéide.