Case Reports

The Supreme Court has held that the victims of crime may not generally influence the sentence imposed by a trial judge on a convicted criminal, but stated that a court may take into account a plea for leniency when making a final determination on the appropriate sentence. The decision arose from an

The Court of Appeal has held that the sentence for a man who impeded the investigation and apprehension of the murderer of Thomas Farnan was too lenient. The sentence was initially set by the trial judge at four years with the final 18 months suspended but the Court of Appeal held that the appropria

The High Court has determined that a defendant was entitled to discovery of a plaintiff’s post-accident medical records in a personal injuries case. It was held that post-accident records were clearly relevant to the proceedings and there was no reason why they should not be discovered. Delive

The High Court has determined that a mother had wrongfully removed her two children to Ireland and ordered that they should be returned to Sweden under the Hague Convention. The eldest child claimed that she would self-harm if she was returned to Sweden but the court held that there were not strong

Northern Ireland’s High Court has rejected applications for judicial review into the length of patient wait lists in the jurisdiction. The court found that although this issue was of public concern, the nature of the situation required political leadership, not court involvement.

The High Court has dismissed a personal injury claim brought by a university student who fell from a bucking horse at an equestrian centre. The plaintiff suffered a significant back injury in the fall and brought proceedings against the equestrian centre and the university which organised the horse-

The High Court has refused an application by a plaintiff for well-charging relief against a deceased’s estate on the basis that the monies had become payable in September 2008. It was held that the plaintiff’s claim was statute-barred as no proceedings had issued within two years of the

Northern Ireland’s High Court has determined that it is in the best interests of a child to be relocated to Poland, where he has family ties and where his mother’s new husband is based. The court noted the emotional impact that refusing the application could have on the mother and, in tu

The High Court has quashed a sentence for burglary on the basis that the trial judge erred by refusing to allow counsel an opportunity to take instructions from their client. The defendant had pleaded guilty to stealing €5,000 from a house in at a hearing in 2021. Delivering judgment in the cas

James Milliken of Carson McDowell reports that we are beginning to see artificial intelligence take on complex tasks such as assisting lawyers with drafting contracts. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays an ever-increasing role in our everyday lives. It is used in Face ID and other image recognition

The Court of Appeal has held that a mandatory disqualification from holding a driving licence due to careless driving only applies if the accused had two previous convictions for careless driving in a three-year period prior to the offence. The decision provides clarity on the issue of mandatory dis

The High Court has ruled that a doctor who was facing suspension from the medical register pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings may be identified in media reports. The application was made by Mediahuis, who sought to name the doctor who had several serious driving convictions. In an ex te

Northern Ireland’s High Court has struck out an action as being doomed to fail and frivolous where the lay litigant plaintiff was seeking a combined £300 million for alleged failures by his legal representatives and the police to enforce a court order. The court also rejected his claim t

The High Court has refused an application by a former sparring partner and friend of Conor McGregor seeking to restrain Mr McGregor from describing him as “a rat”. The plaintiff claimed that the insult meant that he was an informer and a person who betrays another. The application was br

As another year draws to a close, lawyers across Ireland will be settling down for the Christmas break. December is always a busy period as both clients and the courts are keen to finalise matters before every sits down to turkey, selection boxes and (for those inclined) festive tipples for three we