Northern Ireland

The establishment of an independent Historical Investigations Unit (HIU) outside of the PSNI risks turning Northern Ireland into a "police state", two senior lawyers have claimed. Writing in the News Letter, Belfast solicitor Neil Faris and Peter Smith CBE QC, who served on the Patten Commission, sa

Eversheds Sutherland partner Matthew Howse and principal associate Damian McElholm consider the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. As each day passes, the economic challenges presented by COVID-19 are further illuminated. With the jobs retention scheme portal now open for applications,

A new crime novel from Northern Ireland lawyer-turned-author Steve Cavanagh is set to be released later this year. Fifty-Fifty, to be released in September, follows the case of two sisters suspected of murder who accuse each other of the crime.

The chairs of nine influential Westminster committees have called on the UK government to provide a mechanism for scrutiny of the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit deal. In a letter sent to Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the chairs said MPs must be "notified of, and enabled to

Strangulation is a substantial, separate and distinct aggravating feature to be taken into account in sentencing for domestic violence, appeal judges in Belfast have emphasised while dismissing an appeal against sentence. The Court of Appeal this morning upheld the 12-month prison sentence handed do

The requirement to hold a public event as part of the pre-application process for major planning applications has been temporarily removed for five months. The changes, which came into effect via legislation on Friday 1 May, have been made to allow the planning system to continue functioning during

Prison healthcare workers are set to receive a £1,300 pay boost in recognition of their "vital work". The annual "environmental allowance" will be paid into salaries by July 2020, subject to necessary business case approval.

Laura Banks, solicitor at Francis Hanna & Co, highlights ongoing inequality in the bereavement benefits system. One of the most encouraging aspects of the government's response to the pandemic has been how quickly measures have been put in place and laws have been passed in order to support peop

Two new associates have joined Arthur Cox's litigation and dispute resolution team in Belfast. Kristina Cunningham joins the firm from a high-profile personal injury practice, while Tomás Corrigan has joined the Belfast team from the firm's Dublin office.

Sir Declan Morgan, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, has been ruled out as a candidate for the UK Supreme Court seat to be vacated by Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore on his retirement in September. Lord Kerr is the only justice with knowledge of and experience of practice in the law of Northern Ir

Coroners in Northern Ireland should be allowed to investigate whether failures in the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) have led to deaths, KRW LAW LLP has said. The Belfast-based human rights firm has written to the presiding coroner for Northern Ireland, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan,

Legacy inquests set to begin this year will be delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the presiding coroner has said. In a statement issued yesterday, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan said the "full impact of the pandemic and the associated containment measures on legacy inquests are not yet kno

The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland has dismissed an appeal related to the issue of a border poll on a united Ireland. Raymond McCord sought judicial review of the refusal or failure of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to have a policy specifying the circumstances in which he would di

The reopening of retail businesses after the coronavirus lockdown could be impacted by legal action over unpaid rent, lawyers at DWF have warned. Tomorrow, Friday 1 May, marks the first significant rent payment day since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown for shopkeepers across Northern Ireland's hi

Parents should feel "reassured" that the courts will consider the reasonableness of actions taken during the coronavirus pandemic when considering future child contact orders, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. Northern Ireland's health and justice ministers today highlighted guidance from the Lo