Northern Ireland

Tougher penalties for breaches of Covid-19 restrictions have not been brought into force in Northern Ireland due to delays in printing enforcement notices, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. The Northern Ireland Executive agreed nearly a month ago to increase the minimum fine to £200 and al

Barrister David Scoffield QC and Judge David McFarland have been appointed as judges of the High Court. The pair were sworn in before Sir Declan Morgan, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, this morning.

The Public Prosecution Service's decision to direct no prosecution against four persons on allegations of perjury arising from the investigation known as Operation Kenova needs "immediate external, international and independent examination, as there are too many institutional vested interests e

Sunday Life has prevailed in a legal battle after a convicted criminal attempted to prevent her crimes being reported. Carson McDowell was successful in resisting an emergency interim injunction application advanced by the applicant, Joanne Cassidy.

There has been a sharp increase in the number of prisoners spending more than 15 days in units by themselves, the Belfast Telegraph reports. In the past decade, more than 1,000 prisoners have been put in care and supervision units (CSUS) in jails for that period of time.

The UK government has been called on to “act without delay” and order a public inquiry into the killing of Pat Finucane. Mr Finucane, a Belfast solicitor, was shot and killed by loyalist paramilitaries in collusion with the UK security forces in 1989.

Arthur Cox has appointed four new trainee solicitors to its Belfast office. The latest cohort to join the firm’s industry-leading programme comprises recent graduates, Alannah McKeaveney, David Greatorex, Hannah Foulsham and Patrick Loughridge.

The High Court in Northern Ireland has awarded a woman £5,000 for the "upset, distress, annoyance, inconvenience, worry and humiliation" caused as a result of unlawful discrimination. Lorraine Cox was diagnosed with the terminal illness of motor neurone disease and the Law Centre NI brought a

An appeal has been issued for information on the death of Leo Norney on 13 September 1975. The inquest into the death of the 17-year-old is to be heard by Coroner McGurgan on a date to be fixed.   

The failings of Northern Ireland’s Department of Health are causing abortion provision to breakdown and are putting women in a vulnerable and dangerous position, Amnesty International and Informing Choices NI (ICNI) have said on the anniversary of abortion becoming decriminalised in Northern I

Green Party NI leader Clare Bailey MLA has laid a new Climate Change Bill, submitted to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The draft legislation has been drawn together by a coalition of legal professionals, scientists, academics and environmental organisations and comes on the back of months of behind

Claire Edgar of Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors examines a recent case concerning the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The High Court in Belfast has recently handed down a decision in the Matter of K (a minor), a Hague Convention case in which Francis Hanna &

Plans for a new joint "care and justice campus" for children and young people, incorporating the existing Lakewood Regional Secure Care Centre and Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre, have gone out for consultation. Justice Minister Naomi Long said the combined campus would help to reduce offending an

Child sexual exploitation laws in Northern Ireland are set to be strengthened following the completion of a recent review, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. New legislation expected early next year will remove outdated terms such as "child prostitution" from existing legislation, ban adults from

Legislation to modernise Northern Ireland's liquor licensing laws has been introduced in the Assembly. The Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill, which was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was introduced by Finance Minister Conor Murphy on behalf of Communities Minister Car&aacut