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A team from the Law Society of Ireland has won the 2024 Corn Adomnáin International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Competition organised by the Irish Red Cross. The three-person team of Conal O'Gahdra, Chloe McCabe and Calem Martin triumphed over seven rival teams from six other institutions in the c

Irish lawyer Michael O'Flaherty has formally taken up his role as the Council of Europe's new commissioner for human rights. The first Irish person to hold the post, Mr O'Flaherty will serve a six-year term after being elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in January.

A new analysis of Japan's unusual naming law has concluded that everyone in the country will share the name "Sato" in around 500 years' time. Japanese law requires married couples to both adopt one of their surnames, with nearly 95 per cent of women taking their husbands' name.

Germany has become the first major European country to legalise cannabis for personal recreational use. Under a new law which came into force yesterday, adults may possess up to 50 grams of cannabis and three plants at home and carry up to 25 grams of cannabis in public.

Ukrainian lawyers have called for fresh sanctions on Russia after it staged presidential elections in occupied territories in violation of international law. Russian president Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the elections held from 15-17 March 2024, which were marred with fraud and the exclusion o

Belfast firm Edwards & Co has appointed Tara Clements as a solicitor in the firm's employment team. The firm says it has seen an increase in demand for specialist employment law advice and advocacy from employers and employees over the past year in particular.

Northern Ireland's legal aid spend was close to £102 million in 2022/23, an increase of seven per cent on the previous year, new figures show. A total of 63,976 cases were granted legal aid, of which over two-thirds (68 per cent) were criminal cases and around a third were civil cases.

The Irish government has said it will seek to opt-in to measures in the EU Asylum and Migration Pact. The decision will lead to the full repeal of the International Protection Act 2015 and the introduction of a new asylum regime with legally binding timeframes for decisions as well as a greater focu

Northern Ireland firm McCay Legal has appointed Sinead Creighan as a director heading up the firm's commercial property, real estate and private client department. Ms Creighan brings over 20 years' experience, having worked as a senior associate in a niche cross-border commercial law firm before bec

Deloitte partner Róisín Fitzpatrick has been appointed as interim chairperson of legal rights charity FLAC. Ms Fitzpatrick, a solicitor who works in Deloitte's corporate immigration team, takes the reins from David Fennelly BL, who has served as chairperson since 2021.

Free hospital car parking in Northern Ireland has to be delayed in part due to legal challenges affecting plans to use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology, health minister Robin Swann has said. The Hospital Parking Charges Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, which bans the imposition of pa

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Thailand: UN experts alarmed by sentences handed down to human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa on lèse-majesté charges | OHCHR

A four-figure reward is on offer for the return of a life-sized bronze stag statue stolen from a London garden. 'Henry', said to be worth up to £10,000 (around €11,600), was abducted from the front garden of interior design expert Alison Cork MBE, the Evening Standard reports.

Ireland will make an intervention in the genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the government has confirmed. Officials have been directed to begin working on a declaration of intervention which will be filed, subject to ministerial approval

LK Shields has appointed Siobhán Lafferty as a senior associate in the firm's employment, pensions and employee benefits team. Ms Lafferty, who has over five years' experience as a solicitor, advises clients on a broad range of employment law issues, both contentious and non-contentious.