Northern Ireland

Only limited progress has been made in improving the safety of prisoners in Northern Ireland over the past five years, according to a new report. Brendan McGuigan, the outgoing chief inspector of criminal justice in Northern Ireland, said he was "frustrated" by the pace of progress in implementing r

The presiding coroner for Northern Ireland has identified the 10 inquests which will take place from April 2020 to April 2021 under the Lord Chief Justice's five-year plan for dealing with legacy inquests. Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan held 41 preliminary hearings over a three-week period in Septe

Belfast-based MKB Law has announced the appointment of Deborah Archer as an associate director following a successful year for the firm's corporate commercial team. Ms Archer is cited in the Legal 500 2019 as a leading individual in banking and finance and is also ranked in Chambers and Partners 201

Claire Edgar, family and divorce partner at Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors, has been appointed to the Law Society of Northern Ireland's International Children Law Panel of Solicitors. The Panel is made up of solicitors experienced in international children cases, and specifically child abduction

Anne McKernan, head of legal services at the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, considers whether a discrimination case before the courts can really lead to change. The answer is yes – it can do. And almost everyone who successfully resolves their case with our help, whether it’s

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival (NIHRF) has officially launched its 2019 programme of events, taking place across Belfast and Northern Ireland from Sunday 8th to Saturday 14th December.

A&L Goodbody (ALG) has been awarded the Bronze Diversity Mark by Diversity Mark NI in recognition of the firm’s commitment to gender diversity. Along with other organisations receiving the Diversity Mark at the event, ALG was commended for the innovative ways in which it is focused on driv

Personal injury solicitors Una O'Neill and Gerard Nugent have celebrated three successful appeals which led to higher pay-outs for their clients. The pair, who practice at Northern Ireland-based JMK Solicitors, advised their clients, including the representatives of two children, that the sum awarde

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has won an appeal against a £7,500 damages award over delays in progressing the inquest of the death of Pearse Jordan. The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, found that the trial judge had failed to differentiate between the period of delay for

Kevin Murphy, partner in TLT's Belfast office, looks at how planning law reform could support Northern Ireland's electric vehicle network. Northern Ireland is making great progress in renewable energy generation. But when it comes to electric vehicle (EV) uptake and the infrastructure needed to supp

Mr Justice Adrian Colton will be appointed as president of the new Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board, the Lord Chief Justice has announced. The redress board, established by legislation fast-tracked through Westminster before it dissolved, will be responsible for receiving and processing

Commercial and licensing lawyer Richard McLaughlin has joined Keystone Law as a consultant solicitor. Mr McLaughlin, formerly a solicitor at Joseph Donnelly & Co Solicitors, brings experience in the world of licensing, particularly in Belfast, having advised numerous pubs, off-licences, nightclu

Belfast firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin's marketing and business development manager, Amanda Sistern, has won recognition at the Women in Business Awards. The firm nominated Ms Sistern for her recent "Legal Focus" social media marketing campaign, focusing on key departments within the firm over a dedicat

Young offenders at Hydebank Wood College have been invited to take part in a new boxing work-out programme aimed at improving their fitness and mental health. Boxing champions Paddy Barnes, Marc McCullough and Carly McNaul visited the facility to launch the new six-week, non-contact boxing course fo

A judge will be appointed to oversee the redress scheme for victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland by the end of the week. David Sterling, head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, met with victims and survivors yesterday to outline plans to set up the long-awa