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A victims' commissioner for Northern Ireland is set to be established on a non-statutory basis until legislation can be progressed for a statutory commissioner. Justice minister Naomi Long said the decision, which follows a 12-week public consultation, will "ensure this voice for victims can be intr

A new programme which aims to tackle offending among young men by looking at how masculinity and gender stereotypes impact their decision-making has been launched by the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI). The groundbreaking "Back on Track" programme, which will be piloted later this year,

The High Court has awarded both personal damages and repayment to the company in an unfair prejudice claim against a Coleraine company which voted to oust a founding shareholder. The petitioner, Mr Fergus Shaw, sought relief under section 994 of the Companies Act 2006 on the grounds that the affairs

A couple who wanted to name their newborn son "Vladimir Putin" have been refused permission by Swedish authorities. The couple, who live in Laholm in south-western Sweden, submitted the name to authorities but were told it could "cause offence" or "distress" to their child.

International law firms Ashurst and DLA Piper are among the latest law firms authorised to operate in Ireland as limited liability partnerships (LLPs). A total of 330 law firms have been authorised to operate as LLPs since the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) began accepting applications i

Proposed new UK immigration laws will "undo progress" on tackling child trafficking in Northern Ireland, the Children's Law Centre (CLC) has said. The Belfast-based law centre said the Nationality and Borders Bill, which is being considered by a Westminster committee from today, will harm children,

Co Antrim law firm Armstrong Solicitors has announced the appointment of Bryan Meldrum as its first-ever chief operating officer. Mr Meldrum joins the Newtownabbey-based firm from the healthcare industry, where he specialised in financial management, business development, management information syst

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has announced the 28 organisations to be awarded a total of €350,000 in funding for projects under its human rights and equality grants scheme 2021. The projects encompass a range of issues including social exclusion and socioeconomic discriminatio

The Law Society of Ireland has set a fundraising target of €300,000 for the 23rd annual Calcutta Run, which supports the fight against homelessness in Dublin and Kolkata. Solicitors and members of the legal profession are encouraged to run, walk, cycle, or hike to collectively cover 30,000 km o

A judge with oversight of speeding ticket cancellations has said he is "uneasy" about gardaí claiming exemptions for speeding on their way to and from court hearings. Judge Matthew Deery, the independent oversight authority for the Garda fixed charge processing system (FCPS) cancellation poli

India's most senior judge has said that the use of English in courts should be abandoned and that the wearing of colonial court dress should be discarded. While English is not recognised as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India, historical attempts to bring an end to its use in other contexts h

The Judicial Council has commissioned a Scottish university to lead a new study into the quality of sentencing data. Professor Cyrus Tata of the Centre for Law, Crime & Justice at Strathclyde Law School will lead an international team of experts to examine the quality of available data about sen

The Bar of Northern Ireland has said a "radical increase" in the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland's County Court from £30,000 to either £60,000 or £100,000 is "not justified". In its response to a Department of Justice consultation, the Bar said both options represent "a misguided

William Fry's pro bono programme has been recognised at the 2021 Chambers Sustainable Business Impact Awards. The law firm won the "Excellence in Social Enterprise" award for its Social Impact+ programme, which was launched in partnership with Inner City Enterprise in July 2019.

The number of prisoners on remand in Northern Ireland rose to a record high last year as the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed the courts system. The remand population increased by nearly 11 per cent to 545 for the 2020/21 financial year, the highest level since reporting by financial year began in 2014/1