News

The Law Society of Ireland has urged government ministers to introduce a reduced VAT rate for legal services to end the "inappropriate application of what is effectively a consumer tax on such services". It is one of a range of recommendations in a letter sent to Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe ahe

Government ministers have approved plans to legislate for the recognition of UK divorces after expiry of the Brexit transition period. Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: "I am conscious that in the absence of an agreement to the contrary, EU law will no longer apply to legal proceedings involving

Proposals to increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Northern Ireland, which currently stands at 10 years of age, are under consideration by ministers. Justice Minister Naomi Long has confirmed in response to a written Assembly question that she wrote to her Executive colleagues last

Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC), which provides free legal advice to homeless people and people at risk of homelessness, assisted over 1,600 individuals and families last year. The law centre's annual report for 2019, launched today by Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien, reveals a 17 per cent increas

Retired solicitor and politician David Cook, who became the first non-unionist Lord Mayor of Belfast in the late 1970s, passed away yesterday.

McKenna & Co Solicitors has celebrated after being winning the Emerging New Business Award at the Dublin Network Ireland Awards. Lisa McKenna, who founded the firm in November 2017, was also highly commended in the new "Power Within" category, which recognises the resilience of entrepreneurs dur

The Children's Rights Alliance has joined the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) in expressing "deep concern" at the use of spit hoods against children and vulnerable adults by Gardaí during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest Policing Authority report on the policing of th

The Senate will vote on a successor to Ruth Bader Ginsburg before November's presidential election. The US Supreme Court justice died on Friday at the age of 87.

Amal Clooney has resigned as the government's envoy on media freedom over suggestions the UK government intends to break parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. She said in a letter to foreign secretary Dominic Rabb that she was "dismayed to learn that the government intends to pass legislati

Brewdog has failed in a legal fight with Elvis Presley's estate over the name of one of its beers, The Times reports. The company launched Brewdog Elvis Juice IPA five years ago. It enjoys annual sales of £6.4 million in the UK alone.

Rare books worth more than £2 million that were stolen in January 2017 have been discovered in rural Romania. The collection, which includes important works from the Renaissance period, was taken by crooks in a daring raid in which they abseiled into a warehouse, near Heathrow, after cutting h

The High Court has rejected a challenge taken by the Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) against a decision of the Legal Aid Board (LAB) not to grant it legal aid. Background

Male solicitors were twice as likely as women to succeed in their applications for recognition as senior counsel, according to new figures. Just two women – Áine Hynes and Helen Noble – were named earlier this month among the first 17 solicitors to receive the honour.

Legislation which will streamline the forestry licensing process by limiting who can appeal and introducing new fees will be presented to the Dáil within the next two weeks. The public consultation on the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill, which has been sharply criticised by environmental

Immigration and international protection permissions have been extended for a fifth and possibly final time. Justice Minister Helen McEntee today announced the temporary extension for permissions that are due to expire between 20 September 2020 and 20 January 2021.