News

A&L Goodbody has become the first law firm in Northern Ireland to support an innovative scheme aimed at supporting social mobility and increasing diversity in the legal profession.

The Law Society of Ireland has called on the State to "realise its international obligations to Irish people with disabilities" to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities today. Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in March 2018, some 11 ye

Asylum seekers who have been waiting more than two years to have their applications processed will be granted permission to stay in Ireland under a new scheme. Ministers have approved a scheme to regularise thousands of undocumented migrants and their families who are living in Ireland, justice mini

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Taliban still killing former Afghan government officers after promising amnesty: Human Rights Watch

The Bank of Ireland (BOI) has been fined a record €24.5 million over failures to guarantee continuity of service in the event of significant IT disruptions. The bank admitted five breaches of the European Communities (Licensing & Supervision of Credit Institutions) Regulations 1992 and the

The High Court has dismissed a claim brought by Foot Locker Retail Ireland Limited for declarations that it was entitled to not pay rent to its landlord between March and June 2020 when its store was closed by law. The company argued that the lease was partially frustrated by the Covid-19 restrictio

Hungary and Poland have been dealt a blow in their legal challenge to EU rules cutting funding for member states that fail to protect the rule of law after an advocate-general sided with the European Parliament and Council. The two member states had brought actions before the Court of Justice of the

The Council of Europe has told Turkey it is going to refer the case of imprisoned philanthropist and activist Osman Kavala to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Mr Kavala has been in jail in Turkey since November 2017, having been arrested, acquitted and re-arrested a number of times.

Police have busted a Lego trafficker who allegedly tried to resell up to $10,000 worth of merchandise shoplifted from a rival store. Seattle Police Department dubbed their investigation "Operation: MandalOrganized Retail Theft" because many of the stolen sets were based on the Star Wars TV show The

Maples and Calder LLP (Ireland), the Maples Group's law firm in Ireland, has announced the appointment of Peter Stapleton as its new managing partner. Mr Stapleton, who also joins the firm's global management committee, succeeds Nicholas Butcher, who has retired from the firm after almost 18 years o

The principal legislation governing arbitrations in Northern Ireland as well as England and Wales is set to be reviewed by the Law Commission. The review of the Arbitration Act 1996, which will be launched in the first quarter of 2022 with a consultation paper to follower later that year, aims to en

Residential landlords in Northern Ireland could be required to give tenants up to six months' notice to leave their home under plans put out to consultation. The Department for Communities is consulting on the notice to quit period while the Private Tenancies Bill 2021 makes its way through the Asse

Service dogs used by police and prison officers in Northern Ireland will gain additional legal protections under legislation which has passed a major hurdle at Stormont. The Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill, dubbed "Finn's law" after a police dog killed in England, will increase the maximum pen

Legislation providing for a reduction in stamp duty levies on health insurance contracts has been published by the government. The Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021 will reduce levies on advanced health insurance contracts to €406, a decrease of €43 compared to 2021, and on non-advanc

McCann FitzGerald LLP has been named Ireland's law firm of the year at The Lawyer European Awards 2021 in London. The firm, which also won the European litigation team of the year award and was highly commended in the European finance team of the year category, has won the top award for Ireland thre