News

The US city of Minneapolis is moving towards the abolition of its police department following weeks of protest sparked by the killing of George Floyd by one of its officers. Nine members of Minneapolis City Council have pledged to dismantle Minneapolis Police Department and introduce a new community

Britain's human rights watchdog has launched a statutory inquiry into the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on people from ethnic minorities in England, Scotland and Wales. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said its inquiry will help to develop "clear, evidence-based recommendations for ur

A number of eminent figures are set to speak at a conference on the current crisis and the global economy.

Four people have been arrested after breaking into a historic courthouse in an abortive coup attempt in western Australia. Members of a group called New Westralia smashed their way into a 180-year-old courthouse in the small town of York and declared their authority over western Australia, WAtoday r

The Supreme Court has held that the High Court erred in granting certiorari of the Minister for Justice’s refusal of an application for liberty to enter and remain in the State. The judgment concerned the interpretation and application of Directive 2004/38/EC On the Right of Citizens of the Un

The Immigrant Council of Ireland took on nearly 200 legal cases last year, including the case of 27 women trafficked to Ireland for sexual exploitation. The work of the NGO's independent law centre is highlighted in its Impact Report 2019, which was launched yesterday in a morning webinar which also

The Law Society of Ireland's family and child law committee has updated its guidance on issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The updated version of the guidance, which was first published in March, is now available from the Law Society website.

Controversial proposals to redraw constituency boundaries for Westminster elections in Northern Ireland have been quashed after a legal challenge from a Belfast resident. The Court of Appeal found that the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland had misapplied the law, failed to give adequate reaso

An ongoing review of Ireland's personal insolvency laws will now take into account the "significant economic effects" of the COVID-19 outbreak, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has said. Officials in the Department of Justice are currently working to complete the major statutory review of Part 3 of

Ronan Daly Jermyn solicitor Hilda Mannix, partner Darryl Broderick and trainee Chris Murray consider the strategies lenders and loan purchasers should consider when met with allegations of fraud as a defence in enforcement proceedings. Lenders and loan purchasers may find themselves faced with an al

Lord Burrows has been sworn in as a UK Supreme Court justice in a small ceremony in the court’s library. He recited the judicial oath in front of the court's president, Lord Reed. All the other justices tuned in to the session remotely.

Scottish lawyer Richard McMeeken details new proposals to deal with the contract law implications of the current crisis. Following a meeting on 7 April 2020 of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law attended by (among others) Lord Neuberger, Lord Phillips, Sir David Edward and Si

Law Centre NI has translated its resources for employees and self-employed workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic into nine languages. The FAQs on support for employees and self-employed people during the COVID-19 outbreak have been translated into Arabic, Chinese, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuani

A hijab-wearing Muslim woman has been appointed as a deputy district judge in a UK first. Nottingham barrister Raffia Arshad, 40, will begin sitting part-time on the Midland Circuit later this year while continuing to practise from St. Mary's Chambers.

Divorces have risen sharply in Saudi Arabia during the coronavirus pandemic, apparently driven by women discovering that their husbands are secret polygamists. A record 7,482 divorces were carried out in February, a 30 per cent year-on-year increase, with local lawyers crediting restrictions on move