News

A law that requires newly-nationalized Danes to shake hands with a representative at their citizenship ceremonies ought to be scrapped, critics have said. As part of new rules on citizenship that came into effect this year, participants at such ceremonies must shake hands with the mayor or local off

A member of Monaghan County Council who was recorded by RTÉ asking for a fee to influence an application for planning permission has failed to stop an investigation into his conduct being carried out by the Standards in Public Office Commission. Dismissing the application for judicial review

Civil legal aid should be widened to include areas of the law such as housing and homelessness, the Chief Justice of Ireland, Mr Frank Clarke, has said. Ireland's top judge made the remarks at the launch of the Mercy Law Resource Centre's 2018 annual report, which was streamed live over the internet

The Court of Appeal in Belfast has reserved judgment on an appeal from an anonymous applicant arguing that the UK cannot leave the EU if it results in the imposition of a hard border. Patricia Coyle, solicitor at Harte Coyle Collins, is representing "JR83", whose case was dismissed by the High Court

Maynooth University Department of Law has announced the appointment of Dr Sinéad Ring as a lecturer in criminology. She is the second criminology lecturer to join the department this month, following the appointment of Dr Lynsey Black.

A pilot project to introduce a "child-centred" approach to dealing with child sexual abuse, based on the Icelandic "Barnahus" model, has been launched in Galway. The Barnahus, Onehouse Galway service will see the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Department of Health and Department of Justic

Draft legislation to hold a referendum on allowing Irish citizens abroad and in Northern Ireland to vote in presidential elections has been submitted to the Dáil. The Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill 2019 provides for a referendum to amend article 12 of

Privacy activist Max Schrems will address Trinity students at an upcoming event hosted by Trinity College Law Review and Trinity College Law Society, in association with Arthur Cox and Eversheds Sutherland. The activist, known for his successful legal campaign against the Safe Harbour Agreement in 2

The Department of Finance has launched a "full and comprehensive" review of the business rates system in Northern Ireland. A public consultation opened yesterday and will run until 11 November 2019, seeking views on the future direction of the business rating system.

Lawyers from Britain, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Cyprus were welcomed to Belfast for the second meeting of the European Hub of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA).

ByrneWallace has been recognised as Ireland's top legal advisor to the public sector at the Excellence in Business Services Awards for a third consecutive year. The awards are presented annually by Public Sector Magazine to companies and organisations who can demonstrate outstanding service, co

The criminal justice system in England and Wales is "now dysfunctional and defective, broken and on-the-floor", policing watchdog chief Sir Thomas Winsor has warned. Sir Thomas, Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary, said the "inexcusably low" level of resourcing and investment in prevention

Bulk interception by the South African National Communications Centre is unlawful and invalid, the High Court in Pretoria has ruled in a historic judgment. The case was brought by two applicants, the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism and journalist Stephen Patrick Sole, after learning

A round-up of deals involving Irish law firms. Submit your deals to newsdesk@irishlegal.com. McCann FitzGerald advised Greencoat Renweables on its proposed acquisition of Gortahile Wind Farm in Co Laois.

An Austrian court has ruled that a German tourist who complained about a "photo of a Nazi grandpa hanging in the hall" in a guesthouse had no right to air his grievance on travel websites. The tourist posted the comments online in response to the picture of a Wehrmacht soldier in uniform.