Northern Ireland

All visits to Northern Ireland prisons have been suspended with effect from today in order to slow the spread of coronavirus. Ronnie Armour, director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS), said he "reluctantly" took the decision in consultation with Justice Minister Naomi Long.

Around 140,000 tablets intended for illegal distribution over the internet have been seized in Northern Ireland in part of a global operation co-ordinated by Interpol. The Northern Ireland operation, carried out by Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) partners, was part of the global "Operation Pangea

The Bar of Northern Ireland has called for an immediate two-week suspension of all in-person court hearing except in "very exceptional" circumstances. The representative body for barristers issued a statement yesterday afternoon in response to the "unprecedented circumstances" created by the coronav

Proposals to limit legacy investigations in order to protect former British soldiers from "vexatious claims" could land the UK government in court, human rights lawyers have warned. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis yesterday set out the government's proposals to establish a new independent b

The lack of progress on establishing a specialist Traffic Court in Northern Ireland has been criticised by the criminal justice watchdog. Jacqui Durkin, chief inspector of criminal justice, said she was disappointed that the court "has not at least been piloted".

There will be no further oral hearings of cases listed before the Chancery and Probate Master until further notice as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Solicitors acting for banks and building societies have been invited to submit a written submission by email in respect of every case they have

The Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland has taken measures to reduce the number of people attending court from today. The latest update, issued yesterday evening, is reproduced in full below. The Lord Chief Justice met yesterday with representatives of the legal profession to discuss measures to

The UK government has come under sharp criticism after unilaterally announcing a new approach to legacy investigations which would "protect veterans from vexatious claims". Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis today set out the government's proposals following a six-month consultation in 2018, w

People with multiple convictions will no longer have to disclose all old and minor convictions to employers under changes to the criminal record checking scheme. The AccessNI scheme has been changed to ensure only relevant and appropriate criminal record information is disclosed on certificates, bri

A mother of a child with underlying health problems has launched an emergency judicial review of ministers' decision not to close schools across Northern Ireland. Solicitor Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law is representing the woman, who is lodging proceedings against the Minister of Education, the Mini

A court in Derry held a hearing outside due to concerns that one of the accused could have coronavirus. Three men and a woman had been due to appear in Derry Magistrates' Court on hijacking charges, but all four had their charges read in the vehicles used to bring them to court.

Retired lawyer and judge John P. Shearer has passed away, the Law Society of Northern Ireland has said. Mr Shearer, originally from Glasgow, was admitted to the roll of solicitors in Northern Ireland in 1954.

The trial of a former British soldier accused of the attempted murder of a 27-year-old man in 1974 could proceed via Skype because of the coronavirus outbreak. Lawyers for Dennis Hutchings, 79, told Belfast Crown Court on Friday that their client has a chest infection and was advised by doctors to s

Law firms Tughans, Millar McCall Wylie and A&L Goodbody (ALG) were among the top winners at Insider's Northern Ireland Dealmakers Awards. Tughans partner John McGuckian was named Dealmaker of the Year and his firm advised on three of the recognised deals.

The PSNI has appointed three new sex work liaison officers under a scheme launched in 2015, bringing the total to five. A specialised operational lead officer has also been appointed as the sixth member of the team.