News

Visa applications for family reunification and essential business needs will begin to be processed again for the first time since January, the government has announced. Justice Minister Heather Humphreys said there would be "some small adjustments" to the priority/emergency list of visas being proce

The High Court has granted an injunction restraining any sharing, processing, selling or publishing of any data stolen from the HSE's computer systems in last week's cyber attack. A criminal gang based in Russia is believed by authorities to be responsible for last week's attack, the most serious cy

The Children's Law Centre (CLC) has teamed up with charity Angel Eyes NI to empower visually impaired children and young people to access equal education, advocate for their rights and influence decision makers. The new collaborative EqualEyes project, which will provide expert-led workshops to 125

Employment law issues arising from flexible working and remote working are the top areas of concern for HR professionals in the public sector, a new survey suggests. Business law firm ByrneWallace LLP surveyed HR professionals in conjunction with workplace compliance company Legal Island ahead of an

The UK government last year blocked the public release of 155 sets of Northern Ireland Office (NIO) documents dating from the Troubles, an investigation has found. The NIO told the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives (ACNRA) that it wanted to retain or close 155 sets of documents datin

A Canadian soldier has been court-martialled for allegedly serving cannabis-laced cupcakes to an artillery unit during a live-fire exercise. The unsuspecting troops who ate the cupcakes reported a sudden onset of dehydration, overheating, fatigue, confusion, dry mouth and paranoia.

The High Court has determined that the requirement for an applicant under the Gender Recognition Act 2004 to prove they are suffering from a medical “disorder” was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The court held that a diagnosis of a disorder was an antiquated n

Personal injury cases involving witnesses can now be heard remotely following the roll-out of more advanced technology, the Courts Service of Ireland has announced. There were difficulties with the Pexip platform used for remote hearings since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in cases involvi

Co Meath solicitor Raymond Finnegan has been nominated for appointment to the District Court. He will fill the vacancy arising from the elevation of Judge Colin Daly, former president of the District Court, to the Circuit Court earlier this year.

Borrowers falling into home mortgage arrears due to an unforeseeable loss of income will gain court protection under new legislation which has cleared the Oireachtas. The Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020, which will now be signed into law, gives insolvent homeowners the right to seek review

The government has set out more details of its plans to allow the vast majority of companies in Ireland to be rescued without applying to the courts. The Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 will amend the Companies Act 2014 to allow small an

Plans for the most substantial reform of consumer contract law in Ireland in four decades have gone out to consultation. The Consumer Rights Bill 2021, which the government wants to become law by the end of the year, aims to consolidate and modernise consumer protection legislation, making it easier

Legislation allowing companies to hold virtual annual general meetings (AGMs) during the Covid-19 pandemic has been extended until the end of the year. The Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Covid-19) Act 2020 makes temporary amendments to the Companies Act 2014 and the Industrial and Provident S

Judges are seeking an investigation into the “discriminatory, unfair and unlawful” judicial appointment system amid claims of bullying and racism, The Times reports. The Judicial Support Network (JSN), which promotes diversity on the bench, is sending a request today to the Equality and

Northern Ireland's construction sector is lagging behind the recovery in other UK regions, according to a new report published by RICS and law firm Tughans. A survey of construction businesses in Northern Ireland found a net balance of +8 per cent reporting rising workloads in Q1 2021, up from -18 p