Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) has been granted leave to intervene in the UK Supreme Court case concerning the introduction of safe access zones around abortion clinics in Northern Ireland. The Attorney General for Northern Ireland has asked the court to look at whether the Abo

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has launched a new online professional conduct complaint section on its website. The new section, which has been developed by the Society’s professional conduct department, aims to support those wishing to raise a complaint about the professional conduct of

UK law firm Shoosmiths, which has an office in Belfast, has announced its year end results for FY 2021/22. Revenue at the firm has risen eight per cent to £181.8 million while net profits increased nine per cent to £60.7m and PEP increased by three per cent to £675,000.

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has rejected 12 separate grounds of appeal by a murderer who claimed his counsel were dishonest, lacking integrity, and encouraged him to perjure himself. The appellant was unanimously convicted by a jury of murdering his girlfriend Anita Downey in the early

Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has celebrated an "exceptional year" for its Belfast office as it announced record-breaking results of £1.103 billion in revenue and £381.2 million in profit in the last financial year. The firm saw its revenues increase by six per cent on th

Dr Conor McCormick of Queen's University Belfast examines recent developments concerning the office of Attorney General and its equivalents. This month marks the publication of my book on The Constitutional Legitimacy of Law Officers in the United Kingdom, which contains a detailed analysis of the f

Northern Ireland’s High Court has ruled in favour of an applicant who challenged his parole refusal. The court found that the parole decision failed to appropriately consider and examine license conditions on which the applicant may have been suitable for release. The applicant, a 44-year-old

Northern Ireland's justice minister, Naomi Long, has condemned the display of effigies portraying her and other politicians being hanged. Photographs circulating on social media show the sinister effigies of Naomi Long and Sinn Féin leaders Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald on display at

Sir Declan Morgan QC PC, the former lord chief justice of Northern Ireland, is chairing an Independent Commission on Counter-terrorism Law, Policy and Practice which will examine the impact of current counter-terrorism laws. The commission has launched its public call for evidence and will also call

The latest episode of the Bar of Northern Ireland's Legal History Podcast series has put the spotlight on the experiences of newly-called barristers. Presenter Fionola Meredith is joined by Amy Kerr, Alana Harty and Nick Lennon — members of the Young Bar Association — for a candid discus

Belfast firm Thompson Crooks Solicitors has announced the promotion of solicitor William Nugent to the position of director. Mr Nugent, who qualified as a solicitor in 2012 and joined the firm in 2017, is the immediate past chair of the Northern Ireland Young Solicitors' Association (NIYSA).

Northern Ireland’s High Court has dismissed an application for parental responsibility where the father was found to be coercive, and had sexually assaulted the child’s mother while he was in the home. The court did grant an indirect contact order between the father and son, but also gra

Dr Evelyn Collins CBE, the chief executive of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, has announced her intention to step down this autumn. A graduate of University of Sheffield School of Law with Masters' degrees in criminology from the University of Toronto and human rights and discriminatio

The Law Society of Northern Ireland will participate in this month's Belfast Pride Parade for the first time in its history. Many lawyers have joined the parade in recent years as part of groups such as Lawyers with Pride, which was established in 2016, but the Society itself has never taken part in

Revenue at multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has increased by just under six per cent to €594.8 million (£531.1 million) while profit per equity partner rose by just over 16 per cent to €828,000, the firm's latest financial results show. The firm now employs more than 3,500 staff