News

Lawyers at a major City firm will be able to buy electric cars through a new scheme designed to contribute to the fight against climate change. Stephenson Harwood, which employs over 1,100 people across eight global offices, will make the scheme available to all staff in London from next year.

The Bar of Ireland has announced a number of initiatives to mark the centenary of Frances Kyle and Averil Deverell becoming Ireland's first woman barristers. Ms Kyle and Ms Deverell were the first women to be called in both Ireland and Britain, and Ms Deverell was the first woman on both islands to

The High Court has ruled that a scratch golfer who lost his index finger while assisting his golf club was entitled to €100,000 in damages arising from the accident. In so finding, the court held that the plaintiff was not a member of the club at the time and was therefore entitled to pursue th

A virtual conference hosted by global legal business DWF will examine Northern Ireland's interim personal injury discount rate (PIDR) of -1.75 per cent, which the firm describes as the lowest in Europe. The sector-wide conference will consider the changes and their repercussions, which could see sub

Belfast-based NGO The Pils Project is hosting a free webinar next week to mark UK Pro Bono Week. Taking place on Tuesday 2 November at 6pm, the webinar is designed to be "inspirational and practical", with real-life examples of how lawyers can proactively share their expertise while avoiding burn-ou

Matheson has announced the 2021 launch of its diversity and inclusion scholarship in association with Trinity College Dublin (TCD), now renamed in honour of late Matheson partner Cara O'Hagan. The Matheson Cara Scholarship is open to second year undergraduate law students in TCD, including students

Philip Lee partner Clare Cashin, senior associate Claire Wallace-Duffy and associate Thompson Barry Doherty examine emerging case law on construction payment disputes. Two recent High Court decisions on enforcement of an adjudicator’s decision reaffirm the “pay now, argue later” ap

Climate justice professor and former Irish president Mary Robinson is among the high-profile speakers at a major legal conference in Edinburgh today – ahead of the UN climate change summit, COP26, which begins on Sunday. The event, hosted jointly by all three UK law societies and which wi

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Health Service Executive (HSE) was required to carry out assessments of children with suspected disabilities on a chronological and nationwide basis. In so ruling, the Court rejected a submission that the HSE could carry out such assessments of need on a region

A socialite's speeding fine has been halved to £50 after she requested special treatment due to “financial hardship”. Lady Eliza Manners, 24, daughter of the Duke of Rutland, paid only £50 after she admitted driving her Audi A1 at 47mph in a 40mph section of the elevated M4 i

Diego Gallagher has been elected as president of the Dublin Solicitors' Bar Association (DSBA) for 2021-22. Mr Gallagher was elected to succeed outgoing president Joe O'Malley at the DSBA's AGM on Wednesday.

Downpatrick-headquartered Murlands Solicitors, one of Northern Ireland's longest-established legal practices, has announced the appointment of Sarah Shannon as a partner. Ms Shannon, a property lawyer specialising in all aspects of residential and commercial conveyancing, will join in partnership wi

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has obtained an extra £2.2 billion to resolve the backlog of court cases. It had warned the Treasury that the backlog could rise to 72,000 cases – up from the pre-pandemic figure of 41,000 – unless is secured an extra £500 million to expand the N

Poland must pay the European Commission a daily fine of €1 million following its failure to comply with a July ruling over judicial independence. The judgment from the Court of Justice of the European Union comes after the Commission sought "financial penalties" to ensure Poland suspends new la

Luxembourg's prime minister plagiarised all but two pages of his master's thesis in public law and political science, a media investigation has alleged. Xavier Bettel has admitted his thesis "could have – yes, maybe should have – been done differently" and has said he will "naturally acc