Northern Ireland

Two solicitors have been appointed as notaries public by the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. Warrenpoint solicitor Rosemary Connolly and Limavady solicitor Caroline McConnell were appointed to the office with effect from yesterday.

More work needs to be done to encourage and support victims of domestic violence to free themselves from abusive behaviour, one of Northern Ireland's top family lawyers has said. Claire Edgar, partner at Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors, yesterday addressed a conference on domestic abuse hosted by

Northern Ireland's High Court has denied leave for judicial review to an applicant who believed that being forced to rely on in-patient mental health treatments violated his rights under Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court held that systems in place to provide ment

Northern Ireland's justice minister has urged the UK government to restrict or regulate online anonymity in new legislation tackling online harms. A Westminster committee is currently carrying out pre-legislative scrutiny of the Online Safety Bill, which will require online platforms like Facebook a

Work to establish specialist mental health and domestic violence courts in Northern Ireland has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, justice minister Naomi Long has said. Mrs Long said scoping work on the pilot mental health court had been "paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic and refocusing of res

The Lady Chief Justice’s Office and the Bar Council of Northern Ireland have announced the launch of a new Legal History Project reflecting on 100 years of law in Northern Ireland. The project will curate and commission a new series of public and internal events, resources and personal histori

Northern Ireland's High Court has ruled in favour of a convicted arsonist freed more than 33 years ago who submitted that a law preventing convictions of more than 30 months' imprisonment from ever becoming spent breaches his human rights. The court was persuaded to make a declaration that Article 6

Belfast-based MKB Law has announced the promotion of three solicitors to associate director. Residential property specialist Emma Smyth, family law solicitor Áine Toner, and corporate and commercial property expert Lynsey Henderson have been promoted in response to increased demand for servic

Around 7,500 defendants in Northern Ireland were waiting for their first court hearing at the start of October, according to new figures. Justice minister Naomi Long said the figure "is consistent with levels noted prior to the pandemic", when the number stood at around 7,200 defendants.

Northern Ireland's justice minister has set out her commitment to upgrading the courts and tribunals system in the north-west following a visit to the Bishop Street courthouse in Derry. Jury trials have not taken place at the courthouse since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic because it has not bee

A virtual conference hosted by global legal business DWF will examine Northern Ireland's interim personal injury discount rate (PIDR) of -1.75 per cent, which the firm describes as the lowest in Europe. The sector-wide conference will consider the changes and their repercussions, which could see sub

Belfast-based NGO The Pils Project is hosting a free webinar next week to mark UK Pro Bono Week. Taking place on Tuesday 2 November at 6pm, the webinar is designed to be "inspirational and practical", with real-life examples of how lawyers can proactively share their expertise while avoiding burn-ou

Downpatrick-headquartered Murlands Solicitors, one of Northern Ireland's longest-established legal practices, has announced the appointment of Sarah Shannon as a partner. Ms Shannon, a property lawyer specialising in all aspects of residential and commercial conveyancing, will join in partnership wi

Proposals to reform the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) will go out to consultation "in the coming weeks", justice minister Naomi Long has said. Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI) last year recommended that the Department of Justice should review the founding legislatio

Another man has successfully appealed his convictions for trying to help Gerry Adams escape from prison in the 1970s. Martin O'Rawe, 70, brought an appeal following last year's landmark UK Supreme Court ruling which found that Mr Adams was detained unlawfully and therefore had not broken the law by