Northern Ireland

The new Northern Ireland Secretary, Julian Smith, has been urged to introduce legislation to compensate victims of historical institutional abuse. The UK Government recently said legislation to implement the recommendations of Sir Anthony Hart's 2017 report would not be introduced until after the su

Belfast solicitor Peter McGettrick has appealed to colleagues to help him raise money for a pilot mediation service in Uganda. Mr McGettrick and his partner, Nicki Clarke, have launched a JustGiving page aiming to raise £2,500 to support the work of the Justice and Peace Commission.

New figures revealing that the number of women prisoners in Northern Ireland has reached a five-year high have sparked calls for the establishment of a dedicated women's prison. As of this month, there are 84 women prisoners in Northern Ireland, most of them accommodated in Ash House at Hydebank Woo

A Zimbabwean woman who was refused permission to visit the UK for a friend's wedding in Northern Ireland has been granted a visa following an emergency application for judicial review. Lettywin Satichi, 44, was originally refused a visitor visa on the basis that her circumstances in Zimbabwe were no

Republicans in Maghaberry Prison have launched a legal challenge for access to the prison library. Prisoners on the Roe House wing of the facility are currently not allowed to visit the library or withdraw books.

Belfast firm Millar McCall Wylie is advising consortium Bangor Marine Ltd in relation to a long-awaited £50 million redevelopment of Bangor’s quayside. It was announced last month that Bangor Marine, which includes Co Antrim developer Karl Group and Belfast building contractor Farrans, h

Martin Burns, head of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) research and development at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, reflects on rule changes in the Northern Ireland courts. The High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland has issued a game-changing Practice Direction which affects all

A key Westminster committee has called for a 10-year "qualified statute of limitations" to protect former and serving soldiers from investigation and prosecution for alleged offences, including alleged murders of civilians in Northern Ireland. In a report published today, the defence select committe

A judge has threatened to strike out an attempted murder and firearms case over Public Prosecution Service (PPS) delays. Moneymore man David Colgan, 23, was arrested in July 2018 in connection with the shooting of Malachi Coleman in March 2018.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) is struggling to satisfy its mandate with "diminishing financial resources", chief commissioner Les Allamby has warned. Writing in the foreword to the human rights body's latest annual report, Mr Allamby said the organisation needs "a decent finan

Lawyers have called on the Department of Justice to bring the personal injury discount rate in Northern Ireland in line with the rate in England and Wales. The discount rate is a percentage used to adjust the lump sum awards for future losses, costs and expenses received by victims of life-changing

Both the number and total value of small claims and High Court judgments in Northern Ireland have decreased in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period the previous year, according to new figures. According to the Registry Trust, there were 3,721 defaults and small claims judgments in Nort

The new Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, Marie Anderson, has formally taken up her role with a promise to build on the independence of the organisation and ensure the investigation of complaints meets modern Ombudsman standards. Ms Anderson, a solicitor by profession, is the fourth person to h

Plans to extend abortion access and same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland have been approved by the House of Lords, following revisions to the process and timetable. MPs voted last week to amend the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill to include provisions on abortion and marriage which will

Law firm TLT has reported a seven per cent rise in turnover from £82 million in 2017/18 to £87.6 million this year, representing an increase of nearly 50 per cent over the last five years. The firm said its financial performance this year has been underpinned by success in several of its