News

Matheson partner Nicola Dunleavy has been appointed as a member of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). As one of just 35 members, Ms Dunleavy, who is also vice-president of Arbitration Ireland, is currently the only Irish member of the Court.

The Government will tomorrow consider a series of recommendations on personal drug possession from an expert group chaired by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan. According to the Irish Independent, the group has not recommended decriminalisation but has set out proposals for cautions for those caught with d

Barrister Damien McShane has been appointed to the Health Insurance Authority by Health Minister Simon Harris for a three-year term. The authority, established in 2001 as the statutory regulator of the private health insurance market, regularly advises the health minister on matters relating to heal

Her Majesty The Queen has approved the appointment of Lord Reed as the next president of the UK Supreme Court. Lord Reed will succeed Baroness Hale of Richmond as president, alongside three additional appointments as justices.

New figures revealing that the number of women prisoners in Northern Ireland has reached a five-year high have sparked calls for the establishment of a dedicated women's prison. As of this month, there are 84 women prisoners in Northern Ireland, most of them accommodated in Ash House at Hydebank Woo

Arklow District Court hearings will be held at a local GAA club from September until next spring after renovation works at Arklow Courthouse get under way. The €120,000 renovation will add two new consultation rooms, secure rear parking, a victim support room and CCTV to the 19th-century courth

Three books referring to abortion are to be unbanned following the liberalisation of Ireland's abortion laws. The Register of Prohibited Publications is set to be updated to remove a number of books which were banned under the Censorship of Publications Act 1946 for providing information "on the pro

A Zimbabwean woman who was refused permission to visit the UK for a friend's wedding in Northern Ireland has been granted a visa following an emergency application for judicial review. Lettywin Satichi, 44, was originally refused a visitor visa on the basis that her circumstances in Zimbabwe were no

Republicans in Maghaberry Prison have launched a legal challenge for access to the prison library. Prisoners on the Roe House wing of the facility are currently not allowed to visit the library or withdraw books.

The House of Lords EU justice sub-committee has appointed former barrister and attorney general Lord Morris of Aberavon QC as its new chairman.

A senior judge in Liverpool has warned that online forums are encouraging prospective jurors to dodge jury duty. Judge Andrew Menary QC, the recorder of Liverpool, said tips exchanged online had helped to convince the public that they can easily avoid their civic duty.

An illegal factory allegedly producing fake Ferraris and sham Lamborghinis has been shut down by police. The father and son owners of the workshop were arrested following the raid and have been charged with industrial property offences.

An environmental activist who sought to bring proceedings challenging the decision taken by An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission sought by Dublin City Council has had his application for leave refused because he did not have standing. Describing the case as “one of the most un

Ireland's defamation laws should be reformed to protect court reporters, including amateur bloggers, from being sued for simple oversights and omissions, the Law Reform Commission has recommended. Attorney General Séamus Woulfe SC will today launch the Commission's new Report on Privilege for

The representative body for barristers has voiced concern about proposals to offer independent legal representation to complainants in rape and sexual assault cases. The Bar Council of Ireland has said it is concerned that the "addition of another legal team to the trial process is unlikely to impro