Northern Ireland

The UK government last year blocked the public release of 155 sets of Northern Ireland Office (NIO) documents dating from the Troubles, an investigation has found. The NIO told the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives (ACNRA) that it wanted to retain or close 155 sets of documents datin

The High Court has determined that the requirement for an applicant under the Gender Recognition Act 2004 to prove they are suffering from a medical “disorder” was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The court held that a diagnosis of a disorder was an antiquated n

Northern Ireland's construction sector is lagging behind the recovery in other UK regions, according to a new report published by RICS and law firm Tughans. A survey of construction businesses in Northern Ireland found a net balance of +8 per cent reporting rising workloads in Q1 2021, up from -18 p

Northern Ireland's unemployment rate remains low in comparison to the rest of the UK but the end of furlough in September will be the "big test", employment law expert Andrew Lightburn has said. Mr Lightburn, director at the Belfast office of DWF, welcomed the latest NISRA figures showing that North

DWF has expanded its team in Belfast with nine new appointments, including senior associates, associates, solicitors and a paralegal, taking its headcount in Northern Ireland to over 100. Tomás McLaughlin, Aine McGuinness and Kathleen Gillespie have been appointed as senior associates, while

The Children's Law Centre (CLC) in Northern Ireland has secured a £675,000 funding boost from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation's Youth Strategic Investment Fund. The law centre, established in 1997, is one of five organisations receiving support in the latest round of the Fund and the only one based

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has said it is continuing to carry out an internal review of its decision not to prosecute politicians who attended the controversial funeral of republican Bobby Storey. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) yes

Prosecutors were right not to charge politicians who attended the controversial funeral of republican Bobby Storey because there was no realistic prospect of them being convicted, a report has found. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the P

Carson McDowell has become the first independent professional services firm in Northern Ireland to sign the Mindful Business Charter. The firm joins a wide range of businesses and professional service firms around the world in a collective commitment to address the avoidable stresses in our working

Retired occupational therapist Dr Joan Martin has been appointed as a lay member to the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission (NIJAC). NIJAC is responsible for selecting and appointing, or recommending for appointment, applicants in respect of all listed judicial offices up to and includ

Proposals to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) in Northern Ireland have been put to a public consultation. The AWB is responsible for setting of minimum rates of pay and certain terms and conditions for agricultural workers in the agriculture and horticulture sectors.

The High Court in Belfast has refused to grant leave in judicial review proceedings taken by a solicitor who was referred to the independent Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) for numerous breaches of the Solicitors Accounting Regulations 2014. It was claimed by Mr Paul Kearney, of Kearney Law

UK law firm Shoosmiths has become a founding member of Hydrogen NI, a new group established to represent organisations with an interest in developing Northern Ireland's clean hydrogen economy. The new group counts companies such as Phoenix Natural Gas, B9 Energy Storage, Solo Renewables, Green Energ

Government plans to restrict asylum claims from people entering the UK without authorisation will place vulnerable children in extreme danger, the Children's Law Centre (CLC) has warned. The UK government confirmed in the Queen’s Speech that it intends to bring legislation to “establish

Staff at Northern Ireland firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin continued to volunteer in the community during the Covid-19 pandemic through virtual workshops and telephone calls, a new report reveals. The firm's 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Report notes that the pandemic "had a significant impact on t