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The government has lent backing in principle to proposed legislation to introduce reproductive health-related leave in Ireland, including paid leave for employees who have suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth. A private member's bill to introduce reproductive health-related leave through an amendmen

Concerns have been raised that Westminster legislation to recognise overseas qualifications could affect lawyers in Northern Ireland and Scotland without their input. The Professional Qualifications Bill, currently at committee stage, would treat individuals seeking to practise particular profession

There should be an "extensive review" of emergency Covid-19 legislation before any further renewal, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has said. Ministers have proposed a six-month extension of the powers outlined in the Health (Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in t

The Department of Justice is to seek permission from MLAs to publish a modern slavery and human trafficking strategy every three years instead of every one year. Writing in the foreword to the fourth annual strategy, Justice Minister Naomi Long said the government's "understanding of these crimes an

The maker of Baileys, the world's most popular Irish cream liqueur, has won a UK trade mark dispute against a company seeking to produce a Scottish product called "McBaileys". R & A Bailey & Co, a subsidiary of drinks giant Diageo, filed an objection to the trade mark application lodged by a

It would be highly unwise for referendums on the constitutional future of Northern Ireland to be called without a clear plan for what follows, a major 18-month research project has concluded. The Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland, established by the UCL Constitution U

A couple apparently booked out a Boeing 737 for a mid-air wedding ceremony in a brazen attempt to circumvent Covid-19 restrictions on weddings in India. India's civil aviation authority has launched an investigation after photos emerged of over 160 people celebrating in the air as the plane travelle

The UK's bulk surveillance regime prior to 2016 was unlawful, but bulk surveillance in itself is not inherently unlawful, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled. The Grand Chamber today handed down its judgment in Big Brother Watch and Others v the United Kingdom, a landmark case broug

Work has resumed on the long-running renovation of the Four Courts dome following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions on construction and the remaining work will be "determined and planned" by the end of the year. A spokesperson for the Office of Public Works (OPW) told Irish Legal News they wer

Widely-supported proposals to abolish the so-called "rough sex" defence, strengthen the law around image-based sexual abuse and widen the scope of the law on abuse of trust could fall to the wayside for over a year due to a political deadlock. Justice Minister Naomi Long was quizzed by MLAs yesterda

Irish solicitor Robert Burke has been appointed as a partner in Liechtenstein law firm Schurti Partners Rechtsanwälte AG. A graduate of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and the Law Society of Ireland, Mr Burke qualified as a solicitor in Ireland in 2006 and practised for several years as

A public consultation will be launched within weeks on how the criminal justice system should treat cases of non-fatal strangulation. Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI) recommended in June 2019 that the Department of Justice should review how potential inadequacies in current legis

Ultán Anderson, litigation solicitor at Leman Solicitors, explains how "cyber insurance" can help protect businesses from ransomware attacks. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past two weeks, you will have heard of the cyber attack on the HSE. A Russian gang known as ‘Wiz

All windows at Newtownards Courthouse will be upgraded and replaced over the summer, Justice Minister Naomi Long has confirmed. Mrs Long told MLAs the plans are "well advanced" and will "address long-standing maintenance issues and improve energy efficiency".

Matthew Austin and Mary Gill of Hayes solicitors LLP explain how the proposed new rescue process for small and micro businesses will operate. The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment announced on 10 May 2021 that it has secured government approval for the priority drafting of the Companies