Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has determined that a child return order under the Hague Convention should not have been stayed pending the outcome of his mother’s UK asylum appeal application. The court highlighted that the return order was directed towards Switzerland, the child&rsq

Belfast solicitor Shannon Gawley has been elected as vice-president of the European Young Bar Association (EYBA). Ms Gawley, a solicitor at Carson McDowell, was elected at the EYBA's 2023 AGM, which took place over the weekend during the association's summer conference in Oslo.

Northern Ireland's new stand-alone offence of non-fatal strangulation and asphyxiation has come into force. Under the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, the maximum sentences for the new offence are two years’ imprisonment in the magistrates’ c

Seven in 10 people across Great Britain oppose a key plank of the government's controversial Troubles legacy bill, according to a new opinion poll commissioned by Amnesty International. The human rights group has published the findings of the survey as the House of Lords continues to debate the Nort

Historic court cases are among a treasure trove of documents spanning more than 800 years which have been unveiled to mark the centenary of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). Speaking at a celebration event yesterday, Colum Boyle, permanent secretary of the Department for Communit

The Northern Ireland Office faces legal action over the disproportionate impact of budget cuts on disadvantaged children, including disabled children, the Children's Law Centre has warned. In a letter to Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, the law centre accused him of failing in his res

More work must be done to ensure greater understanding of and trust in public inquiries in Northern Ireland, an event hosted by global law firm Eversheds Sutherland has heard. The seminar at Belfast's Merchant Hotel took place as a number of significant public inquiries are taking place or expected

Senior Northern Ireland lawyers have shared concerns over the impact on the rule of law of the UK's proposed Illegal Migration Bill. The bill, which is currently before the House of Lords, was the focus of the inaugural event hosted by The Bar of Northern Ireland's new rule of law committee, which t

Chris Quinn has been appointed as the new commissioner for children and young people for Northern Ireland (NICCY), succeeding Koulla Yiasouma. In the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive, the appointment was made by Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris under the Northern Ire

Northern Ireland's presiding coroner will conduct a review of 13 legacy-related inquests on Friday as part of the five-year legacy inquest plan. The purpose of the reviews is to obtain oral updates from the representatives of the families in cases where a coroner has not yet been appointed.

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has urged members to complete a conveyancing survey which remains open until the end of next week. The Society said it is "keen to hear from solicitors at all levels and locations in order to identify areas of concern and would encourage all practising conveyancin

UK law firm TLT, with an office in Belfast, has celebrated after achieving a 33 per cent women partner representation target two years ahead of schedule. Women have accounted for just over half of partner promotions and hires in TLT over the past three years, twice as high as it was prior to the imp

Northern Ireland’s High Court has rejected all grounds of a judicial review application regarding the height of a hedge in a Belfast neighbourhood. The court supported the tribunal decision which found that the hedge blocked light, and rejected claims that the decision was unlawful or gender-b

The Belfast Solicitors' Association (BSA) has celebrated its 80th anniversary with its largest gala ball in over 15 years. Sarah Wilson, the BSA's chairperson and a lawyer in the Departmental Solicitors' Office, welcomed guests to Belfast City Hall for the event last Saturday and reflected on how th

Inspectors have called for urgent action at Maghaberry Prison after discovering a "serious drug problem" and other issues as the prison population balloons to a record 1,230. The number of prisoners in Northern Ireland's largest prison has risen by 48 per cent in five years, from 830 prisoners at th