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Firefighters had to be called to Ballymena Courthouse to free a defendant whose handcuffs had become stuck, the News Letter reports. A spokeswoman for Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said: "Firefighters removed a set of handcuffs from a man using a disk cutter (essentially another name fo

The PSNI has publicly shamed a member of the public who called 999 to complain that their local tanning salon had closed. The caller wanted to know "how they could claim back their unused 25 minutes", police said on Facebook.

A developer, who is the director or shareholder in a number of companies which brought proceedings against First Active Plc, has had his appeal against a costs order made against him dismissed by the Supreme Court. Finding that the High Court had jurisdiction to make the order pursuant to Order 15,

There have been more than 1,100 reports of data breaches involving personal information made to the Data Protection Commission since GDPR came into effect, The Irish Times reports. The 1,184 reports, which compare to an average of 230 per month in 2017, would appear to reflect stricter reporting rul

An electoral commission should be established and legislation brought in to address digital political campaigns paid for from outside the state, the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) has said. The suggestion forms part of the Commission's annual report for 2017. The report provides a summ

Judges have been told to create new guidelines on compensation claims to help lower insurance premiums, the Irish Independent reports. An unpublished report by former High Court President Nicholas Kearns warns that personal injury awards in Ireland are a multiple of those in other jurisdictions and

Clíona Kimber SC has been appointed chair of the Employment Bar Association (EBA). The EBA is an association of senior and junior counsel who are members of the Bar of Ireland.

A Commons Select Committee has warned that we are facing a democratic crisis founded on the manipulation of personal data, particularly during elections and referenda. In a first interim report in its Disinformation and ‘fake news’ inquiry, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

New legislation to prevent claimants from sidestepping the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) in an attempt to have their cases heard in court has been approved by the Cabinet. Claimants, especially those making false or exaggerated claims, often prefer for their cases to be heard in court as

A formal mechanism is to be created to allow the media to access information held in court records, in order to enable fair and accurate reporting of court proceedings. The press currently has no formal way of accessing written legal submissions relied upon in legal proceedings. Rather, journalists

Sir James Munby, outgoing President of the Family Division, has highlighted concerns about access to the family courts and described as "woefully inadequate" help for litigants who are forced to represent themselves as a result of cuts to legal aid. On his final day in office last week, Sir James sa

The Courts Service of Ireland has about €4.5 million in stocks in companies that produce and sell tobacco products. The holdings relate specifically to the investment of Court Funds, held by the courts on behalf of wards of courts and others.

Proceedings in the High Court brought by a law firm against three solicitors who resigned from the business last month have been settled. Augustus Cullen Law and Cullen Solicitors Services Limited brought an action against Gillian O'Connor, Michael Boylan, and their firm Michael Boylan Litigation La

A Scottish law firm has confirmed the beginning of legal action against the Scottish Football Association (SFA) on behalf of its clients "abused by paedophiles employed in Scottish football". Correspondence has today been sent to the association containing details of the civil claims.