News

Belfast-based Cleaver Fulton Rankin has launched a new hub designed to support clients with legal matters related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in business. ESG issues have become more prominent in the wake of the pandemic, climate crisis and increased cost of living as stakeh

An independent expert review of Ireland's forestry regulations has ruled out any alternative to a licensing regime. The 26-page report produced for ministers by Philip Lee LLP states that suggestions Ireland "could adopt an alternative regulatory framework, by setting statutory standards and conditi

A man who mistakenly believed he was wanted by police has been arrested after breaking into a jail to hand himself in. Jail authorities said Wisconsin man Tavier Holling, 30, began pounding on their door early on Sunday morning before growing impatient and smashing his way in.

Specialised judges could preside over criminal trials involving domestic, sexual and gender-based violence under a new five-year strategy launched by ministers. Led by justice minister Helen McEntee, the €363 million "zero tolerance" strategy was published yesterday, accompanied by an 18-month

Lawyers involved in the high-profile 2018 rape trial of rugby player Paddy Jackson have reached a settlement in their defamation proceedings against former Ireland and Ulster rugby captain Rory Best. Solicitors Kevin Winters and Joe McVeigh of Belfast firm KRW Law and barristers Brendan Kelly QC and

A 101-year-old former Nazi concentration camp guard has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment, making him the oldest man to stand trial over the atrocities of the Second World War. Josef Schuetz was found guilty to being an accessory to the murder of more than 3,500 prisoners as well as an acce

Scotland's Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain QC, has referred the provisions of the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill to the UK Supreme Court. The bill was introduced yesterday and proposes that a consultative referendum be held on 19 October 2023, Scottish Legal News reports.

Hairdressers are facing fines of up to €500 if they breach an Italian town's new ban on the traditional practice of double-washing hair. Castenaso, a small town of around 15,000 people near Bologna, has cracked down on double-washing to save water as the region suffers a drought emergency, The

Staff and clients from Carson McDowell have raised £10,000 for the firm's charity partner, Samaritans Belfast, following activities including a retro-styled sports day at CIYMS Rugby Club. The event saw 120 people from 18 client teams participate in traditional school sports, including th

The final report of the long-running inquiry into the Nama scandal has been delayed again until February 2023. The commission, established in 2017, is investigating the National Asset Management Agency’s (Nama) disposal of its Northern Ireland loan portfolio, known as Project Eagle, in a &euro

A referendum on Ireland's participation in the European Unitary Patent system and Unified Patent Court (UPC) could take place in 2023 or 2024, the government has said. Of EU member states, 24 have signed up to the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA) and 16 of those have ratified the agreement

Barbara Cotter, a solicitor and former senior partner at A&L Goodbody, has been appointed as the chairperson of the government's Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC). The non-statutory committee, established in 1984, recommends candidates to ministers and government for the most senior positi

Eight in 10 Crown Court hearings suffered disruption yesterday as criminal barristers in England and Wales began their first day of strike action over legal aid pay. The leaders of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) said that at least six murder trials at the Old Bailey had been delayed due to the s

Legal academic Professor Shane Kilcommins has been appointed to the role of provost and deputy president at the University of Limerick (UL). He will take on the role from Friday 1 July, succeeding Professor Nigel Healy, who was appointed interim provost in late 2020.

A court has been set afizz with the presence of a defendant who turned up sipping champagne. Cameroon's former defence minister appeared in court in the capital, Yaoundé, to face corruption charges – with a glass in hand.