News

The Court of Appeal has dismissed Ryanair’s appeal in a defamation action taken against three pilots. Following a 27-day trial, the jury found that while the words complained of were defamatory, they were published by the defendants without malice and since Mr Justice Bernard Barton had previo

Prominent Belfast solicitor Niall Murphy, who spent 16 days in an induced coma while battling coronavirus, has returned home after being treated for the illness. Mr Murphy, 43, is a partner at KRW LAW LLP and is known for his work as a criminal defence lawyer and in representing victims of state vio

A parole hearing is set to take place via video link for the first time in Northern Ireland. The Parole Commissioner of Northern Ireland had earlier issued guidance that all parole hearings at prisons and at Shannon Clinic would be postponed until further notice.

Proposals to use video "live link" technology for a range of custody functions, including police interviews and the extension of detention by both police and the courts, have gone out to consultation. The Department of Justice is seeking the views of key stakeholders and other interested parties reg

Dr Seán Ó Conaill carries out a textual analysis of the Constitution to examine whether the Oireachtas can sit remotely. Reports emerged today that advice has been issued to TDs and Senators which suggests that the Houses of the Oireachtas cannot sit remotely because the text of the Co

INSURANCE SOLUTIONS - PRAI SUSPENSION AND DELAYS

Belfast lawyer Lisa Boyd has been co-opted onto the executive committee of the Procurement Lawyers' Association (PLA). Ms Boyd, a director at Cleaver Fulton Rankin, will bring a Northern Ireland perspective to the leadership of the association, whose membership consists of procurement law experts fr

Approved organisations have been reminded by The Bar of Ireland that they can directly access barristers for legal opinion on a wide range of matters. The Bar issued the reminder about the Direct Professional Access Scheme in response to widespread legal uncertainty created by the coronavirus crisis

Dr Aisling McMahon, assistant professor at Maynooth University Department of Law and an expert in medical and intellectual property law, makes the case for a (bio)ethics space within patent law. COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on 12th March 2020 and by 9th April had claimed 81,580 lives. COVID-19 h

A trial date has been set in the case of former solicitor Michael Lynn, who is accused of multi-million euro thefts. Mr Lynn, 51, is facing 21 charges relating to the alleged theft of almost €30 million from seven financial institutions.

Couples are set to be married in online weddings following a shake-up of marriage rules in New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Twitter that he is issuing an executive order allowing for marriage licenses to be obtained remotely and for clerks to perform ceremonies via video conference.

The UK has dropped to 35 out of 180 countries in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in part due to a "worrying legal environment" for journalists in Northern Ireland. The international NGO said the UK's efforts to promote media freedom globally were unde

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has launched a consultation on remote hearings during the coronavirus pandemic. All adjudication hearings, face-to-face conciliations and meditations, and on-site inspections have been postponed until after Tuesday 5 May 2020.

Recruitment for lay members of the Judicial Council has begun, in another milestone for the new judicial body. The Judicial Council met for the first time in February following its establishment through legislation late last year.

Lawyers involved in the controversial 2018 Belfast rape trial have launched defamation proceedings against former Ireland captain Rory Best. The lawyers acted for rugby player Paddy Jackson in the high-profile nine-week trial in which he and three others were found not guilty of raping a 19-yea