Northern Ireland

Family law experts addressed a packed meeting at Law Society House on the private law aspects of the Children's Order. The four parts of the event, organised by the Law Society of Northern Ireland's family law committee, heard from a court children's officer (CCO), a contact centre co-ordinator, a d

The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) has apologised to a solicitor who was asked to remove a lapel badge for Irish language speakers before entering Maghaberry Prison. Jim McGinnis, head of the prison law department at Carlin Solicitors, was asked to remove the badge while going through securi

A former trainee solicitor who admitted assaulting his now ex-girlfriend over a six month period is facing jail. Kevin McDaid, 32, was told by Judge Philip Babington to expect a lengthy period in prison when he appeared at a plea and sentencing hearing in Londonderry Crown Court yesterday, the Belfa

A Northern Ireland-born human rights lawyer has been jailed for six months after spitting in the face of a cabin crew member following a racist rant on a flight from India to London. Simone Burns, 50, known as Simone O'Broin, launched a profanity-laden tirade after she was refused more alcohol, havi

A sitting councillor has been forced to withdraw from next month's local government elections after refusing to publicly disclose her home address. Candidates for local government do not have the option of withholding their home address, even though candidates for Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Pa

Representatives from the Law Society of Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth Law Association (CLA) are set to attend a special plaque unveiling in Zambia next week. Brian Speers, vice-president of the CLA and treasurer of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, will join the Rt Hon Baroness Scotland o

HHD Solicitors sponsored a number of prizes at the Antrim Road Business Association's annual spring event.

Shoosmiths has announced the appointment of Sarah Ewing and John Palmer as real estate partners in the firm's Belfast office. Ms Ewing is an experienced real estate practitioner with particular expertise in residential development and acting for major retailers, while Mr Palmer is a respected projec

The Department of Justice has announced the appointment of Caroline Conway as Northern Ireland's new independent reviewer of criminal record certificates. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK to provide screening of criminal record information through an independent reviewer, who can review c

Belfast-based Mackenzie & Dorman Solicitors has announced the appointment of Jill McDowell as associate director and Shari Holmes as assistant solicitor. Ms McDowell trained with the firm and continues to expand her residential conveyancing, wills and elderly client practice.

The Department of Justice has announced the appointment of 12 lawyers to the Civil Legal Services Appeals Panels, which considers appeals regarding the granting of legal aid in civil cases. Ciaran Harvey, Jim Kitson, Charles Redpath and Htaik Win have been appointed as presiding members.

A man who was recalled to prison when he ignored G4S staff who arrived at his home to fit electronic monitoring equipment on the night of his release has lost an appeal against his recall. The man had been released on licence after serving a custodial sentence for possession of explosives and posses

Revised UK immigration rules go "against the grain" of the Good Friday Agreement because they remove the right of Irish citizens in Northern Ireland to be treated as EU nationals, human rights chiefs have warned. Les Allamby, chief commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC)

Matthew Howse, partner in dispute resolution and litigation at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, writes on the latest commercial litigation developments in Northern Ireland. There are few things that are certain in life, however one thing that is inevitable, is change.

Lawyers for a man who was shot dead by British soldiers in 1978 have welcomed a decision to hold a fresh inquest into the shooting. Patrick Duffy, 50, was killed by British soldiers in Derry on 24 November 1978. An inquest in 1980 found that he had been shot between 11 and 14 times.