Opinion

Teachers, like councillors, exercise what little power they have to what little ends they can. While few school pupils nowadays will actively be stopped from using the bathroom when nature calls, many of us have felt the disfavour of a teacher when attempting to do so. Perhaps the law should assist

None of us expect to be harmed as a patient in healthcare, yet, in Ireland, as many as 1 in 8 patients suffer harm while using using healthcare services. Johan Verbruggen addresses queries he has received about the Patient Safety (Notifiable Patient Safety Incidents) Bill 2019, which is currently be

Barrister Paul Marshall details why the UK government’s failure to reform the rules around computer evidence means the Post Office Horizon scandal could be the tip of a miscarriages of justice iceberg. James Cartlidge MP’s statement on behalf of the government – “We have no p

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

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan considers the need for new legislation to address the gig economy. By structuring a contract in a particular way, a business can avoid giving an employee any employment law rights.

In an open letter first published by The Irish Times and included below in full, experts from seven universities and 13 NGOs in Ireland oppose the government's plans to use facial recognition technology for policing. The Minister for Justice plans to expand Garda surveillance powers with policing fa

Dr Vicky Conway calls on the government to take urgent action to secure the rights of criminal suspects. The shocking treatment of Joanne Hayes and her family by gardaí was back in the spotlight this week, with allegations of garda brutality, forced confession and fabricated statements laid b

Keith Doyle, senior associate at BHSM LLP, examines an accelerating trend in the commercial real estate sector towards taking wellness seriously. Awareness of health and wellness, in society at large and in our places of business, has reached an all-time high. Even before Covid-19, the world of busi

Ronan Dunne, partner at Philip Lee, considers what the exit of Ireland's last remaining overseas retail banks means for competition in Irish banking. The competitive landscape of the Irish retail banking market is set to change dramatically in 2022. The impending departures of both Ulster Bank and K

Benjamin Bestgen takes a philosophical look at corruption. In November 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson felt the need to tell the world’s media at the COP26 conference that the UK was not remotely a corrupt country. The PM took this step as both he personally and his Tory party are, not for

Lisa Bryson, employment partner at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, argues that the "people factor" will be key to corporate climate action. As the curtain fell on COP26 last month, many were left speculating what the conference meant for them. The Glasgow Climate Pact, while making advances in the

Jason O'Sullivan, solicitor and public affairs consultant at J.O.S Solicitors, calls on Irish insurers to make good on their promises to lower premiums. The lobbying and public affairs industry in Ireland plays an important role in helping to shape public policy and legislative agendas. It is an imp

Alison Cassidy, partner at DAC Beachcroft in Belfast, comments on Northern Ireland's low personal injury discount rate. It has been over five months since the Department of Justice made a shock announcement to change the personal injury discount rate (PIDR) from +2.5 per cent to -1.75 per cent, leav

Liam Herrick, executive director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), argues that the non-jury Special Criminal Court must be abolished. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has opposed the use of the Special Criminal Court since our foundation. The weakening of fair trial rights and us

Philip Alston, the John Norton Pomeroy professor of law at NYU School of Law, argues that gender diversity on the International Court of Justice must be taken more seriously. In Is There a Special Practice?, Antonios Tzanakopoulos has written a very learned post seeking to dispel the notion that the