Blogs

Geraldine McGahey, chief commission of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, notes the continued importance of the landmark Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Today marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities – a day dedicated to promote full and equal participation of people

Benjamin Bestgen takes a look this week at robotic weapons and the law. See last week's primer here. Killer robots, or “Lethal Autonomous Weapons” (LAWs), have been in our popular conscience for decades. Science fiction fans are familiar with Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics and mos

Dr Sandra Duffy comments on yesterday's English High Court ruling on children's access to puberty blockers. Yesterday the High Court handed down its judgment in the case of Bell v Tavistock NHS Trust, which case concerned a judicial review of the practice of the Tavistock Gender Identity Development

Fergal McGoldrick, associate at Carson McDowell, looks at the latest high-profile defamation case in London and considers how it compares to defamation in Northern Ireland. Amidst the gloom of rapidly darkening November evenings, and the doom of a global pandemic, the London libel court has roared b

Stuart Nevin, associate at A&L Goodbody in Belfast, considers the case law on vacant possession. The recent case of Capitol Park Leeds Plc v Global Radio Services [2020] EWHC 2750 highlights the requirement for tenants to follow the strict conditions set out in a break clause. In deciding whethe

"Usura rusteth the chisel/It rusteth the craft and the craftsman", wrote Ezra Pound. Benjamin Bestgen explains the practice of usury. See last week's primer here. In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice we encounter two people lending money: the Christian merchant Antonio and the Jewish moneyl

Senator Ivana Bacik, a qualified barrister and legal academic, makes the case for the government to support the Labour Party's Citizenship Bill. Throughout the past year, despite the horrific consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic for so many individuals, families and societies, both in this country

Gearóid Corrigan, senior associate at Kennedys, gives an Irish market update on solicitors' professional indemnity insurance. After years of relative calm and stability in the professional indemnity market and ahead of the traditional 1 December renewal, we look at whether recent developments

William Fry partners Derek Hegarty and Laura Murdock give practical advice on common issues relating to legal advice privilege and jurisdiction. Legal professional privilege recognises a client's right to be honest with their legal adviser, without fear of disclosure of sensitive information to othe

Benjamin Bestgen asks us this week to consider just prices. See last week's jurisprudential primer here. Caricatures of fatcat lawyers and greedy shysters lining their pockets through frivolous claims and overcharging clients have linked the legal profession unflatteringly with money for centur

Andrew McKeown BL, law lecturer and practising barrister at The Bar of Ireland, considers the procedure for the removal of a judge under the Irish Constitution. As the controversy surrounding Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe continues, Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, the Ceann Comhairle, ha

Sorry seems to be the hardest word, which is why the law has gotten involved in recent years. Benjamin Bestgen reflects on an early injustice and the value of apologies. See last week's jurisprudential primer here. I recall an episode in primary school in which another kid teased and pestered me and

Daniel Wincott, Blackwell professor of law and society at the University of Cardiff, explores the impact of Brexit on devolution across the UK. Brexit has exposed the underdeveloped and fragile aspects of devolution in the UK. Devolved governments’ relationships with London are strained. The a

Andrew Desmond, associate at William Fry, examines a recent investigation by the Data Protection Commission (DPC). The Data Protection Commission has found a security system used in Irish prisons to be in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) after investigating a complaint by a pr

Eamon Gilmore marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the European Convention on Human Rights. This week marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the European Convention on Human Rights. One of the many initiatives to spring up in the immediate aftermath of World War II with the aim of real