Northern Ireland

John McShane, partner and head of employment at McCartan Turkington Breen, has completed a gruelling triathlon in aid of charity. The Carrickfergus Castle Triathalon consists of a 750m sea swim, a 20km cycle and ends with a 5km run. Mr McShane undertook a rigorous training regime for several months

The Ministry of Defence has agreed to pay a "significant" sum of money to a number of families of those killed in the Ballymurphy massacre in August 1971. The settlement, announced in the High Court in Belfast yesterday, relates to nine of the 10 people killed in the massacre. Other civil proceeding

Geraldine Hanna has formally taken up the role of commissioner designate for victims of crime for Northern Ireland. Ms Hanna, who has over 21 years’ experience in the victims’ sector in London and in Northern Ireland, took up office yesterday for a three-year term with the potential for

The UK government has pressed ahead with legislation unilaterally rewriting the Northern Ireland Protocol agreed with the EU – in spite of opposition from a majority of Stormont politicians. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill was published by ministers yesterday alongside a memo on the governm

Controversial legislation overriding parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol will be introduced to Westminster today. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill will be presented to MPs by foreign secretary Liz Truss this afternoon, though no debate will take place at this stage.

Employment lawyer Paul Gillen has joined Lewis Silkin as a partner in the firm's Belfast office. Mr Gillen joins Lewis Silkin from Pinsent Masons, where he headed the firm’s island of Ireland employment law team.

Northern Ireland's High Court has rejected all grounds of appeal against an extradition warrant to Poland. Although Poland’s courts had a "general systemic deficiency", the court held that this did not create a presumption that the applicant would be denied a fair trial. The applicant, Kamil C

A group of young men, known as the "Derry Four", were coerced into confessing to the murder of a soldier in 1979, an investigation by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has concluded. The watchdog investigated on the foot of complaints from the men, three of whom were aged 17 at the time and

Activity in the Northern Ireland courts returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, according to new figures. The latest statistical bulletin from the Department of Justice shows that the number of prosecutions disposed at Crown Court in 2021 was 1,598, a 37.4 per cent increase from 2020, while prosecu

Northern Ireland’s High Court has rejected several grounds of challenge against planning permission for a GAA stadium in Casement Park, Belfast. In a post script, Mr Justice Michael Humphreys also rebuked counsel over an expert witness who said the planning permission was "unlawful", which dem

Matthew Howse, partner at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, considers the impact of the Electronic Communications Code on landowners in Northern Ireland. Despite significant reforms and changes in 2017, the Electronic Communications Code is set to be amended once more when the Product Security and Te

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has called for urgent clarity on what funding it will receive from the UK government after EU funding is withdrawn next year. The equality watchdog has published a new research report exploring the impact of the loss of EU funding on equality groups in No

A judge in Northern Ireland's High Court has rebuked lawyers over an expert witness who said the planning permission at the centre of the case was "unlawful". Mr Justice Michael Humphreys made the remarks after rejecting several grounds of challenge against planning permission for a GAA stadium in C

Richard Armstrong, partner at Arthur Cox, examines recent changes in gaming and betting law in Northern Ireland. On 26 April 2022, the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 was granted Royal Assent. The 2022 Act was brought into force in response to the Re

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal by a convicted terrorist who was sentenced to a 22-year minimum life sentence after killing a prison officer in a car bombing. The court found that killing a prison officer warranted a lengthy sentence, and the appellant’s alleged