Opinion

John Toler, the first Earl of Norbury, earned his reputation as “the hanging judge” during his time as a particularly callous judge in Ireland in the late 18th and early 19th century. In a somewhat contradictory trait, Toler is often described as having those in his courtroom – inc

Philip O'Leary, managing partner of FitzGerald Legal & Advisory, reflects on his recent appointment to the Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB) and his role as chairman of the Legal Aid Board. I was appointed to the Irish Banking Culture Board, an industry initiative established to rebuild trust i

Ciaran O'Shiel, associate in IP, media and data disputes at A&L Goodbody in Belfast, considers the consequences of a recent judgment of the UK Supreme Court. “He tried to strangle me. What would those words convey to the ordinary reasonable reader of a Facebook post?” is how Lord Ker

Naomi Gaston, senior associate and head of banking and finance at Mills Selig, considers how businesses can protect themselves from the impact of "fake news" and rumours. Customers queued earlier this month to withdraw cash and personal items from safety deposit boxes from Metro Bank. The queues at

For the last four years, the dome of the Four Courts in the heart of Dublin's legal quarter has been obscured by scaffolding, a bleak reminder of the damage it sustained in the opening salvo of the Irish Civil War nearly a century ago. Though most lawyers have seen first-hand the building's enduring

Associate Ciarán Ahern and solicitor Patrick O'Neill in the employment, pensions and incentives team at A&L Goodbody examine recent changes to the Irish immigration regime. There have been a number of recent developments in Ireland which further facilitate Irish employers in recruiting sk

Lucy Clarke, associate in litigation and dispute resolution at Carson McDowell, writes on the launch of the new Commercial Hub in the Northern Ireland courts. On 29th April 2019 the new Commercial Practice Direction (No 1 of 2019) came into operation. It applies to ALL litigated commercial actions w

The Scold’s Bridle or Branks was a form of punishment usually reserved for women who resisted subordination and didn’t conform to being a quiet and virtuous wife. Women who were perceived as being troublesome – who gossiped, “nagged” their husbands, or who were acc

Director Joe Berlinger's new Ted Bundy biopic arrives in cinemas and on Sky Cinema today amid a storm of controversy over its casting of former teen heart-throb Zac Efron as the notorious murderer, rapist and necrophile who killed at least 30 women in the 1970s. The film, described by Berlinger as a

Our sister publication, Scottish Legal News, recalls a scandalous divorce case from just across the water. Donald Findlay QC has narrated an audiobook on the divorce case of the Duchess of Argyll – Allan Nicol’s Three Strand Pearl Necklace.

Dorit McCann, partner and head of EU, competition and procurement at Beauchamps, examines the Irish authorities' approach to gun-jumping. The Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has, for the first time, secured a criminal conviction for gun-jumping.

William Fry lawyers David Maughan, partner and head of debt capital markets, and Eoghan O'Tuama, head of listings, consider the forthcoming overhaul of the EU prospectus regime. On 21 July 2019, the remaining provisions of the Prospectus Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/1129) will become effective a

Partner Seán Barton and trainee solicitor Kevin Ryan at McCann FitzGerald reflect on a busy year for Ireland's Commercial Court. Our research identified that 161 new cases were admitted to the Commercial List of the Irish High Court during the calendar year 2018. While this was more in line w

Julie Sadlier, solicitor at Kieran Mulcahy Solicitors in Limerick, writes on a recent ruling with potential significance for mortgage cases. Earlier this month, a decision from a High Court case was posted on the website of the Courts Service of Ireland. It didn’t warrant any huge public or me

On 22 April 1983, Senator David Norris lost an appeal to the Supreme Court. He sought a declaration that that sections 61 and 62 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, and section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, were inconsistent with the Constitution. Under Article 50 of the Consti