Analysis

Dr Barry Scannell of William Fry notes the world's first legislation regulating so-called "AI companions". In the 2013 film Her, a lonely man falls in love with an AI. What once seemed like speculative fiction has edged uncomfortably close to reality.

Scottish lawyer Ronnie Clancy KC analyses the collapse of a prosecution in England brought against two men accused of spying for China. The recently abandoned case against two individuals who were due to stand trial on charges of spying for China is by no means the first prosecution to hit the buffe

William Fry lawyers Rachel Hayes, David Cullen and Aoife Keenan examine a CJEU ruling clarifying what constitutes personal data when transferring pseudonymised information externally. On 4 September 2025, the European Court of Justice delivered its decision in Case C-2025/645 between the European Da

Dr Liam O'Driscoll highlights the need for EU-wide reform following a CJEU ruling on an Irish case concerning the compensation of victims of crime for pain and suffering. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), on 2 October 2025, issued a judgment concerning the scope of Member States&rsq

UK withdrawal from the ECHR would tear up the legal underpinning of the Good Friday Agreement, writes former British civil servant and diplomat George Fergusson. The Conservatives’ formal support for withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) leaves both our right-of-centre

A&L Goodbody's Sarah Murphy, Simon Barber, Darragh Muldoon, Rachel Kemp and Rebecca Clark examine a landmark ruling abolishing the long-standing ‘shareholder rule’ in England and Wales. Directors have a duty to act in the best interests of the company, but they must also comply with

Kane Tuohy partner Triona Cody reviews an Irish employment law case involving allegations of corporate espionage. The widely publicised, multijurisdictional legal proceedings between the international software company Rippling and its rival workforce management platform provider, Deel, Inc., alleged

Dr Eoin O'Dell reminds Senator Michael McDowell, following his rebuke of social media platforms for online defamation, that he still has an opportunity to do something about it. Last week, in his column in The Irish Times, Michael McDowell took social media platforms to task for shirking their respo

The recent English and Welsh High Court case of Zaloumis v Steele (King’s Bench Division) is a cautionary tale for mediators and one worth the attention of lawyers who find themselves advising clients through settlement processes. The dispute involved a son and father falling out over business

Scottish advocate Douglas Ross KC reviews a new analysis of the UK Supreme Court. This book presents an extensive analysis of the judgments delivered in the UK Supreme Court during its first 10 years (2009-2019).

The view from Andrew McGahey’s home office south of Navan in Co Meath is an idyllic one. The vista of tranquillity that takes in the Hill of Tara and the River Boyne ends here, though — the EMEA managing partner of Kennedys Law LLP is responsible for seven offices, where daily life is di

Brónagh Maher of Matheson considers the EU-US ESG regulatory debate and the implications for EU competitiveness. The pace of change with regard to attitudes, laws and regulations on climate change matters in the 10 years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 has been head-spinning

Irish Legal News presents the latest in a series of dialogues between criminal justice researchers, policymakers and practitioners. In this piece, three academics discuss a new booklet of research briefings written to support professionals who work with victims. In response, several people from the

Professor Kevin Brown of Queen's University Belfast weighs up competing proposals for reform of sentencing in Northern Ireland. Before the summer recess, MLAs debated a motion on improving sentencing practice that called for a public consultation on creating a Sentencing Council.

Tom O'Malley SC appeals for brevity in Irish court judgments. The Great Gatsby is one of my favourite novels and I have recently read it for (probably) the third time. What makes it great is not just the story it tells and the way in which Scott Fitzgerald uses that story to expose the emptiness and