Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's legacy pension scheme for victims of the Troubles has opened for applications from today. The scheme, officially known as the "victims' payments scheme for permanent disablement", is designed to recognise and acknowledge the harm suffered and to promote reconciliation, as well as

A public inquiry into the work of a Southern Trust urologist, to be chaired by Christine Smith QC, will begin next week. The inquiry, which will be set up on 6 September 2021, will make history as the first public inquiry in Northern Ireland to be chaired by a woman.

Matthew Howse, partner at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, examines why landowners and tenants are bringing more litigation involving 4G masts. A recent announcement by three mobile telephone networks that they have agreed a deal to build and share masts in order to improve 4G coverage in rural Nort

An investigation will take place following the death of a prisoner at HMP Maghaberry. The death, which took place on Saturday 28 August, is "not being treated as Covid-related", the Northern Ireland Prison Service said.

Dozens of survivors of historical institutional abuse (HIA) in Northern Ireland will receive more than £100,000 in total after their personal information was exposed in a data breach. An email newsletter circulated by the HIA Interim Advocate's Office last May inadvertently revealed the names

Les Allamby, the outgoing chief commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), reflects on the human rights landscape in Northern Ireland ahead of the end of his term early next week. Human rights remains a contested space, both publicly and politically. Nonetheless, as I refl

A court ruling that a 16-year-old transgender girl does not require court permission to access hormone blockers will "bring comfort" to other young trans people in Northern Ireland, a solicitor has said. In a judgment handed down in May and published earlier this month, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan sa

Northern Ireland firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin has welcomed five new trainee solicitors as part of its commitment to developing talent and investing in the future generation of lawyers. Each trainee will complete a two-year training programme working alongside skilled lawyers on a variety of cases and

Northern Ireland's Department of Justice has invited voluntary and community sector organisations, registered charities, and statutory bodies delivering projects in community settings in Northern Ireland to apply for funding aimed at preventing crime. The Assets Recovery Community Scheme allows moni

Health minister Robin Swann has announced new payments to beneficiaries of the Northern Ireland infected blood payment scheme. On 25 March 2021 Mr Swann announced plans for a number of reforms to the NI Scheme to bring it into greater alignment with the financial support provided in England, Scotlan

Northern Ireland's former justice minister Claire Sugden has criticised the pace of reforms to the civil and family justice systems, with few of the recommendations of a judge-led review to be implemented by the end of the Assembly mandate. Ms Sugden served as justice minister after the 2016 electio

House prices in Northern Ireland have reached their highest level since autumn 2008, with an average price of £195,242 in the second quarter of 2021. The average price was up by more than nine per cent in comparison to the second quarter of 2020, according to the latest Ulster University House Pric

A new pilot programme will see the PSNI share information with schools where there have been instances of domestic abuse involving a child. Under the pilot, officers will be allowed to pass on relevant information to the school the child attends so that the right support can be put in place.

Fines issued to Black Lives Matter protesters in Belfast and Derry last summer should be refunded and any outstanding warrants cancelled, the PSNI has told the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS). Deputy chief constable Mark Hamilton said in a letter to health minister Robin Swann

A support service for victims of sexual violence in Northern Ireland will close at the end of the month in advance of a new state-led service being launched. Victim Support NI announced "with regret" that its independent sexual violence advocate (ISVA) service would close on 31 August 2021.