Northern Ireland

John J Rice & Company Solicitors has announced the promotion of Paul Dougan to senior partner and principal at the Belfast-based firm.

Proposals to ban the so-called "rough sex" defence in Northern Ireland have gone out to public consultation. Justice Minister Naomi Long launched the consultation following a review on the use of ‘consent to serious harm for sexual gratification’ as a defence.

Queen's University Belfast should set up an endowed chair for the study of unionism and name it after the late law lecturer Edgar Graham, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has proposed. Mr Graham graduated from QUB in 1976, began working on a PhD at Oxford University and was called to Th

A judicial review launched on behalf of a child who was injured in a hit-and-run is challenging the standard practice of parents or guardians signing off on compensation settlements. Solicitor Ciaran O'Hare of McIvor Farrell is acting on behalf of a child who suffered a head injury at 10 weeks old a

A fresh legal challenge will see judges in Belfast asked to rule on whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson acted in bad faith and for improper purpose in relation to Brexit. An anonymous litigant is seeking a declaration that the prime minister's decision to sign the Withdrawal Agreement and Northern

The Bar Council of Northern Ireland has introduced a new version of its code of conduct for barristers. The new code of conduct, which took effect from 1 October 2020, applies to all barristers, whenever called to the Bar and whether or not they currently hold a practising certificate.

A loyalist killer who had his licence revoked six years after his release can apply again for early release, the Court of Appeal has ruled. The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, handed down judgments on Friday in two cases concerning prisoner Michael Stone.

Mr Justice Gerry McAlinden has been appointed as interim president of the Victims' Payments Board, which will determine who is entitled to payments under the new Troubles pension scheme. The Department of Justice was designated in August, following a long political row, as the administrator of the l

Insurance risk and commercial law specialist firm BLM has welcomed a decision not to set an interim personal injury discount rate pending legislation to introduce a new mechanism for setting the rate. The Department of Justice ran a consultation this summer on how the discount rate or “real ra

Just three per cent of rape cases referred to prosecutors in Northern Ireland in the past year led to prosecution and conviction, new figures suggest. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) received 1,684 files involving a sexual offence during the 2019/20 financial year, a six per cent increase on th

Two solicitors have been appointed as interim non-executive members to the Board of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). Family lawyer Suzanne Rice, a recent past president of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, has been appointed as the legal member.

Belfast-based KRW LAW LLP has announced a trio of promotions and leadership appointments. Solicitors Róise Fitzpatrick, Setanta Marley and Owen Beattie have each been promoted to associate.

Legislation to streamline the committal process for serious criminal cases has been introduced at Stormont. Justice Minister Naomi Long yesterday introduced the Criminal Justice (Committal Reform) Bill, which will allow for serious cases to be transferred directly to the Crown Court without the need

An "erosion" of the judicial review court process, by which a check can be kept on the legality of government decision-making, would have a "particularly stark impact" in Northern Ireland, lawyers have warned. In its submission to the Independent Review of Administrative Law (IRAL), set up by the UK

JMK Solicitors has urged Justice Minister Naomi Long to progress legislation to require courts to approve legal settlements of financial cases involving minors. The personal injury and road traffic accident specialist firm has been calling since 2016 for action to ensure children's rights are f