News

Nearly three-quarters of all tenancies will see annual rent increases capped at two per cent under draft legislation published by the government yesterday. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021 will tighten the rent increase cap for tenancies in rent pressure zones (RPZs), though i

The High Court has quashed a decision of the Children Court to retain jurisdiction of a sexual assault case against a child defendant. The trial judge had decided to hear the sexual assault case pursuant to the provisions of section 75 of the Children Act 2001 despite the fact that the child was als

Delayed work to establish a dedicated mental health court in Northern Ireland will not resume until at least next year and possibly later, it has emerged. Scoping work on the pilot mental health court was "paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic", justice minister Naomi Long said earlier this month.

Research commissioned by Northern Ireland's Youth Justice Agency (YJA) will establish "if and why" children and young people from a Catholic background are more likely to be detained in custody. Around three-quarters of young offenders held in Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre are from a Catholic ba

A statutory public inquiry into mother and baby institutions and Magdalane laundries in Northern Ireland will take place as part of an "integrated truth investigation", the Northern Ireland Executive has announced. Ministers have agreed all recommendations in the report produced by the truth recover

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will rule this week on a challenge to the religious language contained in declarations required to take up the office of president of Ireland. A group of five Irish politicians – Róisín Shortall, John Brady, Fergus Finlay, David McConnel

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has come under pressure from US legislators to speak out against the UK government's controversial plans to end all criminal investigations and prosecutions linked to killings during the Troubles. A bipartisan group of 21 members of the US Congress, led by

A draft code of practice for legal practitioners on how to engage with and advise people who may lack capacity to make decisions has gone out for consultation. The Decision Support Service (DSS) has launched the consultation as part of its preparations for the commencement of the Assisted Decision-M

The families of children who were killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012 have succeeded in a defamation case against right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who claimed the massacre was a hoax. Mr Jones was found liable by default after a judge determined he engaged in “wilful non

Regional UK law firms are being forced to hike salaries for newly-qualified solicitors in response to increasing competition from City firms in the home-working era, according to new analysis. Reading-based Osborne Clarke and Bristol-based Burges Salmon have both boosted NQ salaries by 20 per cent i

A lawyer was arrested after removing his trousers in a courthouse because they were setting off a metal detector. Pittsburgh lawyer Jeffrey Pollock, 59, became frustrated with security guards at a family court building after they refused to let him enter due to alerts from the metal detector.

Two lawyers have been appointed as members of Leopardstown Park Hospital Board for a five-year term. Barrister Ciara Davin and solicitor Doirín Mulligan have been appointed by health minister Stephen Donnelly to serve on the Board until 17 February 2026.

Belief marriages overseen by humanist celebrants would have equal legal status with religious marriage under plans put out to consultation in Northern Ireland. The Department of Finance is seeking feedback on a number of changes to marriage laws, including an increase in the minimum age for marriage

Ronan Daly Jermyn (RDJ) has announced the appointment of five new partners across the firm's corporate, employment, healthcare, litigation and real estate practices. The new partner are Ruth Finnerty in healthcare, Marie Gavin in corporate and commercial, David Phelan in real estate, Michael Quinlan

Northern Ireland's Crown Court has ruled that a "self-centred" murderer with 51 prior convictions will not be eligible for parole for at least 21 years. The court examined the violence of the murder, and the state of the defendant, determining that both were aggravating factors, which warranted exte