News

Global legal business DWF has announced the appointment of Julie Galbraith as its new executive partner in Belfast. Ms Galbraith joined C & H Jefferson in 1998 as a trainee solicitor, and was a partner when the business merged with DWF in 2016. She is DWF's Northern Ireland head of real estate,

Prominent barrister Remy Farrell SC has been appointed to investigate allegations concerning a board member of An Bord Pleanála. The move is believed to relate to a series of reports published by website The Ditch which accuse the board's deputy chairperson Paul Hyde of conflicts of interest,

A judge has issued a stern warning about the "real and growing risk of expensive, time-wasting and wholly unmeritorious cases" coming before Northern Ireland's Court of Appeal as he dismissed a "hopeless and utterly groundless appeal" brought by a personal litigant. Lord Justice Treacy said it was "

Representatives from Northern Ireland's six largest political parties outlined their justice priorities at a pre-election event hosted by the Law Society of Northern Ireland yesterday. The panel discussion, chaired by broadcaster Mark Carutthers, included former justice minister David Ford from the

Foreign nationals and people from ethnic minority backgrounds are receiving longer prison sentences for drug offences and sexual offences than white Irish people, new research suggests. The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) today launched a new report on the rights, needs and experiences of foreign na

Mark Little, CEO and co-founder of Kinzen, will deliver the Law Society of Ireland's annual human rights lecture this year. Taking place on Wednesday 18 May at 6pm, Mr Little will speak on the "Complex Relationship Between Digital Misinformation and Fundamental Human Rights", exploring how the sprea

Westminster's justice committee has called on the UK government to do more to tackle the lengthy backlog facing the court system in England and Wales. In a report published today, the committee warns that while innovations in the court system are welcome it will require strategic planning and long-t

Belfast-based Elliott Duffy Garrett has appointed Aine O'Rourke, Francis Russell and Natalie Hayes as solicitors in the firm. Ms Hayes has joined the firm's private client team, Ms O'Rourke has joined the corporate and banking team, and Mr Russell has joined the dispute resolution and employment tea

A woman has married her cat in a bizarre bid to prevent landlords from evicting her furry friend. Deborah Hodge, a 49-year-old mother from London, organised a wedding ceremony overseen by an ordained friend to show her bond with cat India, Yahoo Life UK reports.

A non-statutory advisory committee will be established to help identify candidates for the post of president of the High Court, the government has announced. Ms Justice Mary Irvine, who has served in the role since 2020, is due to retire in July 2022. The 65-year-old judge told colleagues of her dec

The long-awaited Family Court Bill is one of 34 pieces of draft legislation which will be published this summer as a matter of priority, the government has said. The bill, which will establish a District Family Court, a Circuit Family Court and a Family High Court as divisions within the current cou

Matheson has announced the appointment of corporate partners Sandra Lord and David Jones to the firm's London and New York offices respectively. Previously based in Dublin, both partners will now boost Matheson's overseas expertise, with Mr Jones being joined in New York by senior associate Eoin Shi

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has instructed McCartan & Burke Solicitors LLP to initiate defamation proceedings against RTÉ. The lawsuit relates to a recent interview, according to Independent.ie, and comes in the same month that Irish MEPs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly launched

Lawyers at Belfast and Bangor firm Wilson Nesbitt have raised over £1,600 for Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI after abseiling from the Europa Hotel. The four-person team scaled the 51-metre building to raise funds for the Law Society of Northern Ireland's chosen charity for 2022.

Belfast will welcome judges and legal professionals from across the world next month at the Commonwealth Mediation Conference. Taking place on 19-20 May 2022, the conference will provide a platform to discuss the growing importance and use of mediation to resolve disputes.