News

Almost one third of prosecutions made under emergency coronavirus laws have been brought incompetently, leading to hundreds of cases being dropped. New analysis by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) found that 359 of 1,252 charges last year were either withdrawn or quashed in court.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction over Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, a pre-trial chamber has ruled. In a majority decision which it stressed does not represent an adjudication on a border dispute, the Pre-Trial Chamber I ruled that the court's territorial jurisdicti

The Scottish Parliament has formally been asked to "right a terrible miscarriage of justice" suffered by the 4,000 people accused and executed for witchcraft. A petition lodged by Claire Mitchell QC seeks a pardon as well as an official apology and a memorial in recognition of Scotland's witches, th

A man who stole a pair of handcuffs more than 60 years ago has sheepishly returned them to the police. The 74-year-old grandfather returned the handcuffs to the Los Angeles Police Department with an apologetic letter and a $100 donation.

The High Court has rejected an injunction application brought by a former Aer Lingus cabin crew member who was dismissed following a criminal charge for possession of cannabis and ecstasy. The plaintiff, Mr Lorcan Delaney, had failed to obtain a security authorisation card from the Dublin Airport Au

Commercial law firm Matheson is now the largest law firm in Ireland with nearly 330 lawyers following a "whopping" expansion. The firm, led by managing partner Michael Jackson and new chairperson Tara Doyle, unexpectedly leapfrogged A&L Goodbody and Arthur Cox, who have traditionally swapped the

The law firms and barristers earning most from legal aid in Northern Ireland are set to be named again under plans put out to consultation today. The Legal Services Agency has not published details of payments made to solicitor firms and individual barristers for nearly five years.

Legislation to establish the Land Development Agency (LDA) on a statutory basis and set out its core goals in law has been published. The Land Development Agency (LDA) Bill 2021 sets out the core goals of the LDA to undertake strategic land assembly and fully utilise state lands to build affordable

The High Court has ruled that four pub owners are entitled to be compensated by insurer FBD for the disruption their businesses suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a landmark decision, the outcome of which affects claims made by some 1,000 Irish pubs and restaurants, Mr Justice Denis McDonald

Matheson partner Nicola Dunleavy has been elected as president of Arbitration Ireland. Ms Dunleavy, a partner in the firm's commercial litigation and dispute resolution team, is the first woman to lead the association in its history.

William Fry partners Louise Harrison and Nuala Clayton examine a case in which the rejection of an employee's request to work from home constituted constructive dismissal. In a recent decision, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found that an employee was constructively dismissed when her empl

Deirdre Malone, partner at Ronan Daly Jermyn, considers the key learnings for employers in a widely-publicised case involving racial discrimination at Starbucks. Suchavadee Foley ordered a tea from Starbucks last January. Not a tricky transaction, however, the interaction resulted in a €12,000

English judge Lord Justice Nugee is pictured above sporting the latest in judicial garb – a bespoke Savile Row silk mask. The judge, whose wife is Labour's Emily Thornberry MP, was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal last year. His daughter Rose commissioned the luxurious face covering fro

A legal case arguing that the Scottish Parliament should be able to pass a law to hold an independence referendum without the consent of the UK government has failed in the Court of Session in Edinburgh. Declarator to this effect was sought by Martin James Keatings. He also argued that no amendment

A judge in the High Court of England and Wales has awarded an Oxford professor over £985,000 in damages after successfully establishing that the law firm that drew up the trust agreement governing his late mother’s estate had negligently failed to provide a veto over a proposed