News

Former Bedfordshire chief constable Jon Boutcher has been appointed to lead an independent police team investigating alleged collusion between the security forces and the so-called "Glenanne gang". The Court of Appeal ruled in July that the brother of 13-year-old Patrick Barnard, who was murdered in

British judges could be invited to sit on a "special constitutional court" in a united Ireland, a former Chief Justice of Ireland has said. Mr Justice John L. Murray, who served as Chief Justice of Ireland from 2004 to 2011, made the remarks in a panel discussion hosted by the Hibernian Law Journal.

Research by two Maynooth University academics into how public confidence in the criminal justice system is measured and influenced in different countries has been published by the Department of Justice. The report by Professor Claire Hamilton and Dr Lynsey Black was commissioned by the Department's

A new law requiring a minimum expiry date of five years for gift vouchers has come into effect from today. The Consumer Protection (Gift Vouchers) Act 2019 is the first piece of legislation in any European country designed to protect consumers on gift vouchers.

The gender recognition process for 16- and 17-year-olds will be simplified under new legislation announced by the Government. Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said she will seek to amend the Gender Recognition Act 2015 in response to the findings of a review group which reported back last s

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy was welcomed as the guest of honour at the Employment Law Association of Ireland's (ELAI) annual dinner.

The High Court of England and Wales will hear a judicial review challenge over the UK government’s refusal to hold a fully independent, judge-led inquiry into British involvement in rendition and torture, a judge has ruled. Human rights NGO Reprieve, politicians David Davis and Dan Jarvis laun

Cannabis-infused gravy has proved a massive hit in the US at Thanksgiving. In California, which legalised cannabis for recreational use in 2016, retailer Kiva Confections has reported quickly selling out of a limited-edition $5 gravy designed to "take Thanksgiving dinner to a higher level".

A company seeking to develop a wind farm in Cork has lost an application for judicial review of a decision by An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission based on the “cumulative impact on landscape and visual amenity”. Dismissing the application, Mr Justice Garrett Simons said

Ciaran Maguire of McIvor Farrell Solicitors has been elected as chair of the Belfast Solicitors' Association (BSA), succeeding Enda Lavery of MTB. A new committee was elected at the association's AGM in Law Society House yesterday, which also included a presentation from new charity partner Action C

An all-time record number of solicitors in England and Wales were admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Ireland this year, the Law Society of Ireland has said. The figures, published in the Law Society Gazette, reveal that 1,817 solicitors in England and Wales were admitted in 2019 as of 12 November

Legislation to reduce the requirement for spouses to live apart for a minimum of four years out of the preceding five before they can be granted a divorce will be commenced on Sunday. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan today announced that he has signed a commencement order to bring Parts 1 and 2 of

Criminal justice stakeholders from north and south of the border will meet in Belfast today to share practice on how to reduce re-offending by adopting a "trauma-informed approach". The event, hosted jointly by the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) and the Irish Probation Service at the Pa

The Court of Appeal has rejected an “unusual” argument that a man’s alcoholism diminished his responsibility for murdering an ex-girlfriend, but added that the issue may need to be explored in the future. Michael McDonald, a 56-year-old alcoholic, had admitted killing 31-year-old B

The Bar of Ireland has presented its annual human rights award to Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental in recognition of his work promoting tolerance and in educating young people about the importance of remembrance and reconciliation.