Daniel Holder has been appointed as the new director of the Belfast-based Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ). Mr Holder, who has served as deputy director of the NGO since 2011, succeeds Brian Gormally, who also joined CAJ in 2011 and is retiring at the end of March after more than a d
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland firm JMK Solicitors has grown to 100 staff members for the first time after welcoming 10 new legal advisors, legal administrators and apprentice solicitors since the start of the year. The personal injury specialist firm was established in 2003 and provides services from offices in
The Northern Ireland Office failed to comply with equality law obligations in relation to the UK government's controversial legacy bill, an investigation by the Equality Commission has found. An equality impact assessment of the policies in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Conciliation) Bil
Tributes have been paid to esteemed barrister Ivor McAteer KC who passed away suddenly on Monday. Mr McAteer called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1990 and took silk in 2020. He was also qualified south of the border, calling to the Bar of Ireland in 1999.
A prisoner has launched judicial review proceedings over new X-ray body scanners recently introduced in Northern Ireland prisons. The Northern Ireland Prison Service announced in March that it had introduced new body scanners to tackle the trafficking of illegal contraband, including drugs.
A public consultation is seeking views on a prospective scheme of delegation for decisions of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. The Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, which was introduced in response to a Court of Appeal ruling in 2021, allows that the Department for Communities may m
A new policy adopted by Northern Ireland's Department of Health sets out expectations for minimising the use of restrictive interventions, restraint and seclusion in health and social care settings. Former health minister Robin Swann approved the new policy on restrictive practices in health and soc
A networking event hosted by QUB Women in Law brought together students starting their legal journey and women from various sectors of law to share their experiences and learn from each other. Dame Siobhan Keegan delivered the keynote speech at last week's event, sharing her journey to becoming the
Northern Ireland’s High Court has rejected an application challenging a 2021 decision of the justice minister to refuse to make a payment to an applicant out of an ex gratia compensation scheme. The court found that the refusal was rational and reasonable.
More small legal practices in Northern Ireland "will have to consider merging to remain economically viable" amid cost of living challenges, the president of the Law Society of Northern Ireland has warned. The latest edition of The Writ, the Law Society's magazine, includes a Q&A with Brian Arch
Belfast-based commercial law firm McMahon McKay has become the Northern Ireland office of UK-headquartered alternative law firm Spencer West under a new collaborative association. John McMahon and Danny McKay lead a seven-strong Belfast team specialising in corporate, commercial, real estate, financ
An increase in the limits for payments and awards to workers in employment rights cases in Northern Ireland will take effect next month. From 6 April 2023, the limit on the compensatory award for unfair dismissal will rise from £94,063 to £105,915, while the maximum amount of "a week&rsq
Lawyers have urged the Irish government to take the UK to the European Court of Human Rights over controversial plans to end criminal investigations and prosecutions linked to killings during the Troubles. In an open letter published yesterday, Belfast-based KRW LAW, which represents a significant n
An inflationary increase in planning fees in Northern Ireland will come into effect next month. The Department for Infrastructure confirmed that an increase of approximately 12.3 per cent, the first since 2019, will be applied across all planning application categories from Thursday 6 April 2023.
Nathan Campbell, employment and business immigration associate at Belfast-based Cleaver Fulton Rankin, reflects on recent changes to the Immigration Rules and considers how the amendments could impact businesses in Northern Ireland. A new statement of changes to the Immigration Rules has been publi