Northern Ireland

Workers in Northern Ireland who are laid off while furloughed will receive redundancy pay based on their normal wages under changes welcomed by employment lawyers. The new law, announced by Economy Minister Diane Dodds yesterday, will bring Northern Ireland in line with changes made in the rest of t

Law firm Kennedys has urged the Northern Ireland Executive to change the way the personal injury discount rate is calculated to reflect what injured people do with their compensation in real life. The Department of Justice recently launched a consultation on how the discount rate or “real rate

Belfast city centre firm Robert G Sinclair & Co Ltd has been taken over by the Law Society of Northern Ireland as part of an ongoing investigation. In a statement provided to Irish Legal News, the Law Society said: "The Law Society of Northern Ireland has intervened, pursuant to its statutory po

Tughans has announced it has expanded its corporate, real estate and energy teams in a move it says reflects confidence in these sectors across Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Patrick Brown, managing partner, said: "We have seen continued confidence in the real estate, energy and infrastructure

A new information sharing agreement has been struck between the PSNI and the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI). The new memorandum follows months of discussions prompted by police failures to disclose "significant" evidence related to legacy cases to the watchdog.

The Northern Ireland Executive has distanced itself from claims that First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill endorsed Hong Kong's new national security legislation. The report came after the Stormont leaders participated in a teleconference with China's consul general

Law Centre NI has successfully challenged the decision to withhold bereavement support payment to the family of a woman who was severely disabled due to a progressive degenerative condition. Throughout her working life, Pauline O'Donnell had been unable to work due to severe congenital disabilities

Barrister Johanna Higgins has been reappointed to the Historic Buildings Council (HBC). Ms Higgins, a barrister of the Inner Temple in London who has also been called to The Bar of Northern Ireland and The Bar of Ireland, has served on the HBC since July 2016 and has been reappointed until the end o

Proposals to reform trade union legislation in Northern Ireland for the first time since devolution have gone out to consultation. The Trade Union Freedom Bill, brought forward by People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, aims to "allow trade unions to strike more efficiently and effectively".

Northern Ireland surveyors expect their workload to continue to decline in the next 12 months, according to a survey conducted by RICS and law firm Tughans. The Q2 2020 RICS & Tughans Construction and Infrastructure market survey results predictably show a contraction in output in Northern Irela

Barristers' chambers Francis Taylor Building has announced the appointment of Professor Gordon Anthony of Queen's University Belfast as an academic tenant. Professor Anthony, an expert in public law and a qualified barrister in Northern Ireland, joins the chambers' academic panel, which aims to "fos

Belfast solicitor Ian Coulter, former head of one of Northern Ireland's largest commercial law firms, has denied fraud offences linked to the sale of NAMA's Northern Ireland property loan book in 2014. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) yesterday announced that Mr Coulter, 49, and businessman Fran

Justice Minister Naomi Long has backed calls for the UK government to publish three controversial contracts struck with three companies for PPE at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Good Law Project, led by founder Jo Maugham QC, has issued three sets of judicial review proceedings in relation

The number of prisoners released on a temporary basis in Northern Ireland has declined by more than a third over five years, figures show. A total of 666 prisoners were released on a temporary basis on at least one occasion in 2015, but the number has declined in each consecutive year.

Belfast firm Edwards & Co Solicitors has announced the promotion of corporate and charity law specialist Sarah Burrows to partner. Ms Burrows joined the firm as a solicitor last April, having previously served as the head of the charity law team in a large corporate practice.