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Legislation aimed at protecting victims of sexual offences from being "retraumatised" in the course of a criminal trial has come into effect. Justice minister Helen McEntee has now commenced parts 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Act 2024.

Practitioners have welcomed the commencement of legislation allowing for victims of stalking to apply to the District Court for a civil order to prohibit such behaviour continuing. Keith Walsh, solicitor and co-author of the award-winning book Domestic Violence Law in Ireland, told Irish Legal News

A cannabis business has been sanctioned for handing out free ice cream. While cannabis can now be bought and sold for recreational use in Ohio, one dealer has been slapped with a fine of $150,000 – around £115,000 – for handing out free sweet treats as well.

Older prisoners in England and Wales could be held in secure social care in the community to account for their specific health needs, a landmark new report has suggested. The report by Dr Jayne Price, published today by the Prison Reform Trust, calls on the Ministry of Justice to publish a national

South Korea's top court has found that the government's climate targets are too weak to protect the constitutional rights of younger people in a landmark case brought by hundreds of children and young people. Woodpecker et al v South Korea was brought on behalf of 254 plaintiffs, including 'Woodpeck

Northern Ireland firm Turley Legal has welcomed lawyers Eileen McKendry-Gray, Kathryn O'Hagan and Rachel Scroggie to its team. Ms McKendry-Gray joins as a consultant, bringing over a decade of industry experience as a group general counsel and a background with a UK Top 50 regional firm.

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Iran: Concern at 76-year-old lawyer’s re-imprisonment | Law Society Gazette

A record 1,411 racist incidents and 891 racist crimes were recorded by the PSNI in the year ending June 2024, according to new data. The annual figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) show that racist crimes represented 0.9 per cent of all recorded crime during the p

Police in Brazil have launched a crackdown on claw machines on the basis that their unreliable controls defraud players. While many players believe winning prizes — often stuffed toys — from the machines is a matter of skill, they are actually games of chance, according to authorities in

Nazia Latif has been appointed to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Her appointment by Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn will take effect from 1 September 2024 for a period of three years.

Mairead Holder has been appointed as a commissioner to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC). Mrs Holder, a barrister who is the current official solicitor for Northern Ireland, will take up the appointment with effect from 1 September 2024.

Ireland's first online safety code is set to come into force this autumn following EU approval. In a statement today, Coimisiún na Meán confirmed that the Technical Regulations Information System (TRIS) process had concluded in relation to the online safety code.

Nearly two-thirds of people agree that Ireland should welcome people who move here to make a better life for themselves or their families, according to a survey. The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) commissioned Ireland Thinks to carry out the independent poll on migration-related issues in July

An opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has found overwhelming support for equivalent equality and human rights protections across the island of Ireland. The survey, carried out solely south of the border, found that 73 per cent of respondents agree on the impo

An umbrella group of over 90 Irish charities is to publish polling findings on attitudes to making a will and supporting charities by including a gift. The research will be launched on Sunday 1 September to mark the launch of My Legacy Month.