Northern Ireland

Four new members, including a solicitor and a legal academic, have been appointed to the Parole Commissioners for Northern Ireland. Ciaran McQuillan and Diane Nixon have been appointed as legal commissioners, while Deepak Anand and Dr Kate Geraghty have been appointed as psychology commissioners.

Three murder convictions dating back to 1981 have been referred back to the Northern Ireland courts by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). George Kirkpatrick, Eric Cullen and Cyril Cullen — the so-called Castlewellan Three — each received life sentences on 24 June 1981 for the k

The UK government should consider withdrawing controversial legislation aimed at addressing the legacy of the Troubles, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner has said. In a report on the UK published today, human rights commissioner Dunja Mijatović said the UK government should reconsid

The UK Supreme Court has cleared the way for the enactment of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Northern Ireland) Bill after ruling it does not infringe on the right to freedom of assembly under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court found that placing limitations on wher

A brand-new moot court facility has been officially opened by Northern Ireland’s Lady Chief Justice, Dame Siobhan Keegan, at Ulster University’s new Belfast campus. One of several specialist learning spaces on the expanded city centre campus, the moot court will be open for use by the un

Legislation providing for official recognition of the Irish language in Northern Ireland for the first time has received royal assent. The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill grants official status to the Irish language as part of a package of measures to promote and respect Northern Irela

Legislation creating protest-free buffer zones around abortion clinics in Northern Ireland is compatible with European human rights laws, the UK Supreme Court has unanimously ruled. The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Bill was referred to the court in May by the Attorney General for Northern I

Belfast-based Carson McDowell has appointed three new partners and promoted 14 lawyers to the position of senior associate. The appointment of Sarah Cochrane as a partner in the employment team, Cathal O'Neill as a partner in the defence insurance division and Francesca Lowry as a healthcare partner

Belfast-based MKB Law has celebrated after its director David McAlinden won the "Innovation in Practise" award at the 2022 Insolvency Practitioners Association Awards. Mr McAlinden and colleagues from the firm's insolvency team collected the award at a reception in the National Theatre in London.

Belfast-based Cleaver Fulton Rankin has appointed five new trainee solicitors in its latest trainee recruitment round. The intake includes three former paralegals from its team — Ashleigh Wilson, Melissa Ruddock and Laura Armstrong — in addition to newcomers Kaitlyn McCaw and Hannah

Northern Ireland’s High Court has found that a failure by police to properly investigate a suspected 1976 murder is potentially a breach of their common law and statutory duty. The court granted judicial review, finding that this question was an important point of public law.

The UK’s exit from the EU has plunged Ireland’s all-island energy market into a democratic deficit with decisions on Northern Ireland’s energy supply no longer in the hands of its citizens and government, new research has shown. The cross-border Single Electricity Market (SEM) was

The UK government has formally commissioned abortion services in Northern Ireland after the continued failure of the devolved Department of Health to do so. Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris wrote to the Department following the UK government's announcement in October that it would step

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has welcomed Brian Archer as its president for 2023. Mr Archer is joined in the presidential team by senior vice president Brigid Napier, junior vice president Darren Toombs and chief executive David A. Lavery CB.

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) have sought to provide clarity on the extent of the UK government's commitment to protect certain equality and human rights after Brexit. A new joint working paper from the two rights bodies