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Solicitors have been advised that they can witness the signing of wills through windows and car windshields during the coronavirus pandemic. The Law Society of Ireland circulated advice to solicitors last week following an increase in the number of people seeking to make a will as part of contingenc

Gardaí recorded sharp increases in fraud, gun and drug offences in 2019, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The number of fraud, deception and related offences recorded by gardaí rose to 7,944 in 2019, an increase of 26.2 per cent on the previous

The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) has postponed all hearings currently scheduled up to and including 19 April 2020. Chairperson Hilkka Becker said the Tribunal was taking further measures to protect "the health and safety of appellants, tribunal staff and members and our stakehold

A senior judge has said there is no reason why non-jury trials cannot proceed in the Special Criminal Court when many other upcoming court cases have been placed in doubt over the coronavirus crisis. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding in the three-judge court yesterday, was speaking about the upcoming

A new website has been launched to track the use of alternatives to traditional court hearings during the coronavirus pandemic. Legal technologist Professor Richard Susskind, who is president of the Society for Computers and Law, said remotecourts.org is "designed to help the global community of jus

Cleaver Fulton Rankin has been shortlisted for an award in recognition of its talent management. The Northern Ireland law firm will compete for the Best Talent Management award at the CIPD NI HR Awards in October.

New measures allowing women in England to take abortion pills at home during the coronavirus pandemic should be extended to Northern Ireland, campaigners have said. The Department of Health in England yesterday confirmed that it would press ahead with previously withdrawn plans to allow women in Eng

The Council of Europe has launched an updated version of its free online “Introduction to the European Convention on Human Rights”, a five-hour interactive training course aimed at legal professionals, public authorities, civil society and students. “Europe has the strongest system

A new book about Northern Ireland human rights lawyer Kevin Boyle is being promoted online in a "virtual book tour" because of the coronavirus pandemic. The recently-released book, "Are You With Me? Kevin Boyle and the Rise of the Human Rights Movement" by former CNN correspondent Mike Chinoy, explo

A thief raiding a parked car was foiled after the vehicle's owner used a remote key to trap him until police arrived. The owner spotted Scott Hunt, 45, rummaging through the car in the early hours of the morning from his window and locked the doors, The Times reports.

The latest guidance from the Courts Service of Ireland in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, issued on Sunday night, is reproduced in full below. Notice for practitioners and members of the public requiring services from court offices in respect of criminal, family law and civil law business

The Law Society of Ireland has called for legislation to ensure that the possible closure of court offices does not affect proceedings being issued urgently to comply with the statute of limitations. The Law Society has been in contact with the Courts Service on the matter, but has called for legisl

Up to 200 prisoners in Northern Ireland will be temporarily released before the end of their sentence under plans to tackle the spread of coronavirus. In a statement this morning, Justice Minister Naomi Long said the COVID-19 pandemic meant she had to "consider measures that only a few weeks ago wou

Prominent Belfast solicitor Niall Murphy has been hospitalised with coronavirus and remains in a critical but stable condition. 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 violence during the Troubles.

LK Shields has announced the appointment of Colm Hanley as a senior company secretary in Galway. Mr Hanley, a Mayo native, will provide company secretarial, compliance, and corporate governance support services to local businesses in Galway and the western regions.