Northern Ireland

The Bar Council of Northern Ireland has recommended following the Scottish framework on personal injury discount rate. The Department of Justice recently launched a consultation on how the discount rate or “real rate of return”, used by the courts to determine the size of personal injury

Legislation to make "upskirting" a specific criminal offence in Northern Ireland will be brought before the Assembly early next year, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. "Subject to Executive approval, I intend to bring forward legislative proposals to make upskirting a specific offence in a Justi

A first-of-its-kind case in Northern Ireland has highlighted a "legal lacuna" in respect of the release of offenders detained under mental health legislation, lawyers have said. Belfast-based Higgins Hollywood Deazley (HHD) Solicitors is involved in a case concerning an offender who was dealt with b

Gareth Planck, partner at Eversheds Sutherland, looks at how lockdown has changed offices and working routines. The global pandemic has reshaped how we go about much of our lives. It has of course, also reshaped how many of us work on a day-to-day basis. Kitchen tables and spare bedrooms have become

Staff at JMK Solicitors and CRASH Services have raised £6,000 so far for their 2020 charity partner, Cancer Fund for Children.

Family lawyer William Cross has taken a break from retirement to join Edwards & Co Solicitors as a locum. Mr Cross will support the firm's family department while partner Julie Tierney takes maternity leave.

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".