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Belfast solicitor John Finucane was elected as MP for Belfast North yesterday in a good general election for lawyers contesting Westminster seats. Mr Finucane, the Lord Mayor of Belfast and son of murdered lawyer Pat Finucane, previously contested the seat for the party in 2017, winning 19,159 votes

The system of Direct Provision accommodation for asylum seekers is "not fit for purpose" and the "flawed" international protection process needs fundamental reform, the Oireachtas justice committee has said. The committee's report, informed by committee hearings in May and June, has been welcomed by

Broadcasters will not be allowed to blacklist journalists because of who they work for under new legislation introduced in the Dáil. The Broadcasting (Amendment) (Protection of Journalism) Bill 2019 was introduced yesterday by Sinn Féin TDs David Cullinane and Seán Crowe.

The Government's commitment to achieve a net zero carbon footprint by 2050 will be enshrined in new legislation. The proposed heads of the Climate Change (Amendment) Bill will be considered by Cabinet before Christmas, the minister for climate action, Richard Bruton, has confirmed.

Dr Rob Hendry, medical director of the Medical Protection Society (MPS), sets out the medical profession's perspective on Mr Justice Charles Meenan's expert group on tort reform and the management of clinical negligence claims. In 2018 the State Claims Agency paid out nearly €270 million i

Scottish lawyer Justin D'Agostino has been appointed as Herbert Smith Freehills' new chief executive officer. The appointment by the firm's council, approved by partnership vote, will take effect from 1 May 2020 for a term of four years. Mr D'Agostino will succeed Mark Rigotti, who has served two te

A man has been awarded €500 in damages and legal costs over a "fleeting" incident of defamation on a Luas. Leon Diop, 24, sued Transdev Dublin Light Rail and security firm STT Risk Management after he was asked to leave the tram after accusing a security guard of racial profiling.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Queensland anti-protest laws 'inherently disproportionate', UN human rights experts say | Australia news | The Guardian

A man has been arrested for impersonating his mum in a driving test. The 43-year-old put on a floral blouse, nail polish, make-up and a wig to fool a driving instructor into thinking he was his 60-year-old mother.

Dublin partners Colm Rafferty and Karen Killalea have been appointed to the Maples Group's Irish management team. Mr Rafferty joined Maples in 2007, five years after joining the roll of solicitors, and now co-heads the corporate team in Dublin.

Ennis solicitor Michelle O'Keeffe has been given a four-year suspended sentence for stealing nearly €150,000 from clients. Ms O'Keeffe, 56, pleaded guilty to the theft of €149,830 from 11 clients over a five-year period, The Irish Times reports.

The controversial Judicial Appointments Commission Bill has completed the final stage in the Seanad after 125 hours of debate. The Government imposed a guillotine last night to bring debate on the legislation to an end, despite protests from opposition politicians.

Controversial legislative plans to give adopted people access to their birth records have been dropped due to a failure to reach agreement with stakeholders. In a statement, Children's Minister Dr Katherine Zappone said the decision was taken following a period of "intensive briefings and consultati

The Government should take urgent action to address the "dysfunctions and failures" in the homeless system, Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC) has said. The law centre, which provides legal advice to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, has published a new research report on the su

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan of Richard Grogan & Associates looks at the law surrounding bonus payments as the end of the year looms. The issue of bonus payments regularly arises particularly where an employee is leaving close to or at the time of the payment of a bonus.