News

Bar Council chairman Gerry McAlinden QC Almost 400 people in Northern Ireland's courts have been left without legal representation due to an ongoing protest against legal aid cuts.

Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers MP The names of the three independent reviewers who will help produce a contemporary assessment of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland have been announced.

Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers MP Urgent talks between the five main political parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly to resolve NI's political crisis will begin today.

Moody's analyst Gaby Trinkaus Ireland's mortgage arrears crisis is not yet solved, according to a new report from Moody's Investors Service - and the country still has the highest levels of late-stage arrears in Europe.

The Department of Justice and Equality has drawn up plans for greater gardaí powers to search jewellers, antique dealers and cash-for-gold outlets. A consultation launched today invites stakeholders and members of the public to submit their thoughts on empowering An Garda Síochána in a bid to bri

Justice minister Frances Fitzgerald TD Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has published draft legislation that will "make marriage equality a reality in Ireland".

Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers The secretary of state for Northern Ireland has said "serious consideration" should be given to the re-establishment of a body along the lines of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC).

Kathleen Lynch, minister of state for mental health A campaigner for mental health law reform has said she will continue to argue for changes to the Mental Health Act 2001, despite a report concluding the death of her husband was not preventable.

Book and newspaper retailer Eason has agreed to donate €1,000 to a suicide prevention charity in order to avoid a criminal conviction for selling cigarettes to a minor. The Health Service Executive (HSE) brought action against the chain in Dublin District Court, alleging that it had committed an o

Former Justice Minister Alan Shatter The Taoiseach's office has been accused of "secretly engaging" with barrister Seán Guerin while he was conducting an independent inquiry into Gardaí whistleblower allegations.

Justice minister Frances Fitzgerald TD The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, has announced his retirement in December 2015 - four months earlier than expected.

Facebook has settled out of court after a father in Northern Ireland took the social media giant to court for failing to enforce its age restrictions, enabling a man to contact his daughter, then 11, and exchange photos with her “of a sexual nature”. The girl set up numerous accounts to contact

Lady Rae At the High Court in Glasgow today, Lady Rae, sentenced Alexander Pacteau, 21, to life imprisonment for his “brutal, senseless” and “motiveless" murder of Irish student Karen Buckley with a punishment part of 23 years after the accused pled guilty to the murder.

Jonathan Smithers Unlawful employment practices will continue to go unpunished unless the tribunal system is overhauled, the Law Society of England and Wales has warned.

A total of 259 alleged sexual offences in schools across Northern Ireland were reported in 2012-15, according to a BBC investigation into school-based sex crimes. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) did not provide a breakdown of the types of sexual offences, but confirmed that 237 of the