Northern Ireland

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

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