Northern Ireland

A bill to modernise the legal framework for adoption in Northern Ireland has completed its final legislative stage. The Adoption and Children Bill will bring Northern Ireland in line with changes that were introduced in England and Wales in 2002 and in Scotland in 2007.

Northern Ireland's first-ever adult restorative justice strategy has been launched. The strategy, which runs from 2022-2027 and was developed in conjunction with statutory, voluntary and community sector partners, aims to better meet the needs of, and provide redress for the harm caused to victims o

Wide-ranging legislating updating the law on sexual offending in Northern Ireland has completed its final stage in the Assembly. The Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill creates several new offences, including non-fatal strangulation, up-skirting and down-blousing, cyber-flash

Belfast firm McKees has presented a cheque for £2,000 to mental health charity PIPS after a year of fundraising efforts.

Antrim Crown Court was not swayed that an 18-year-old attacker who had 10 previous convictions had been unable to exercise self-control due to his diagnosis of ADHD and alcohol dependency. On 26 June 2020, the defendant, Jordan McClintock, arrived at a small gathering on the Ballykeel Estate in Ball

A humanitarian appeal launched by Northern Ireland solicitor Joanna Tobolska-Walczuk and her sister has raised £13,000 for Ukrainian refugees in just two weeks.

Geraldine Hanna, the chief executive of Victim Support NI, has been appointed as the inaugural victims of crime commissioner designate for Northern Ireland. The post was established on a non-statutory basis following a public consultation last year amid concerns that legislating for a statutory comm

Proposals to strengthen Northern Ireland's criminal justice response to modern slavery and human trafficking have gone out to consultation. The public consultation will consider the introduction of slavery and trafficking risk orders, the commencement and nature of the duty to notify provisions, and

Proposed cuts to Northern Ireland's justice budget have the "potential to cause generational harm", the Law Society and the Bar have warned. In a joint submission to the Department of Finance and the Department of Justice, the representative bodies said many solicitor firms "would simply not survive

Reforms to the committal process in Northern Ireland criminal cases will be introduced from September 2022, justice minister Naomi Long has said. Mrs Long set out a timetable for the implementation of the Criminal Justice (Committal Reform) Act 2022 after it received royal assent earlier this week.

A non-EU national living in Northern Ireland should not have been refused benefits on the basis that she did not have "comprehensive sickness insurance" as she had access to the NHS, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled. In yesterday's judgment, the Fifth Chamber provided insi

Northern Ireland's former director of public prosecutions, Barra McGrory QC SC, has joined Red Lion Chambers in London as an associate tenant. Based in Ireland, Mr McGrory brings vast experience to the chambers in the areas of criminal law and public inquiry work.

Belfast-based law firm Tughans has announced the appointment of Julie Huddleston as a partner in its banking team. Ms Huddleston joins Tughans from DWF in Belfast, where she headed up the banking team, bringing 15 years' experience advising on finance and restructuring matters. She joins existing fi

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has paid tribute to Heather Semple, who passed away yesterday morning after 32 years' service as the Society's librarian and latterly as the head of its library and information service. Mrs Semple was diagnosed with "a very serious medical condition" shortly befor

The most significant changes to Northern Ireland's gambling laws in nearly 40 years have been approved by MLAs. The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Bill, presented as the first in a two-phase approach to the reform of gambling regulation in Northern Ireland, completed its final