Northern Ireland

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

Personal injury lawyers and insurers have struck an agreement designed to ease the burden on the Northern Ireland courts during the coronavirus pandemic. The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have agreed a protocol which includes the freezing

Controversial proposals to limit legacy investigations in order to protect former British soldiers from "vexatious claims" are set to be examined by a Westminster committee. The House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry to examine the extent to which the UK governme

The Northern Ireland Secretary is not required to publish a policy setting out the circumstances in which he would direct the holding of a border poll, the Court of Appeal in Belfast has ruled. Delivering the judgment, Lord Justice Stephens said the decision to hold a border poll involves "political

Blood donation rules in Northern Ireland are set to be brought in line with the rest of the UK from June. Men who have had sex with other men were barred from donating blood in Northern Ireland until 2016, when the lifetime ban was replaced with a 12-month deferral.

Northern Ireland firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin has partnered with Bequeathed to bring its free will-writing service to Northern Ireland. The online service allows users to a create a simple will for free, but users requiring more detailed legal advice will be referred to the law firm at a fixed price.

Legislation to create a new domestic abuse offence for Northern Ireland is being debated at the second stage in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Addressing a small number of MLAs in the chamber earlier this afternoon, Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was pleased to bring the bill forward, "even th