Blogs

The secret ballot was introduced in Britain and Ireland in July 1972 by the Ballot Act of 1872, with the aim of mitigating the effects of bribery, intimidation, and coercion in elections. Section 2 of the Act outlined the new procedure for voting, which provided for voters to "secretly" mark their v

Peter Groarke, associate solicitor in the healthcare team at Ronan Daly Jermyn, writes on the legislative process. On 2 October 2018, members of Dáil Éireann discussed the proposed introduction of the Mental Health (Renewal Orders) Bill 2018.

Dr Vincent Power, head of the EU, competition and procurement group at A&L Goodbody, considers the likely outcome of the Brexit negotiations. Like all good soap operas, viewers of Brexit wonder whether there will or won't be a deal by 11pm Irish time on Friday 29 March 2019.

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan of Richard Grogan & Associates writes on a recent High Court case on the importance of fair procedures. The issue of fair procedures in disciplinary matters has recently been decided by the High Court in a judgment by Mr Justice Bernard Barton delivered on

During the United Irishman Rebellion of 1798, one of the forms of torture used by the British on suspected Irish rebels – or Croppies – was pitchcapping. Victims were subjected to "caps" full of boiling tar, or "pitch", and gunpowder, forced on their heads and set alight. If the victims

Niamh Magee, associate in the corporate team at Carson McDowell, writes on a new investigation into celebrity and social media endorsements. Frequent users of social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook will be familiar with the hashtags “#spon”, “#af”, &ld

The BarristerBlogger, Matthew Scott, takes a comprehensive look at the European Court of Human Rights' recent blasphemy judgment and finds it severely wanting. The decision of the Fifth Section of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of E.S. v. Austria has been welcomed by Islamists i

Alan Desmond, lecturer at Leicester Law School, sets out the legal context to two recent high-profile deportation cases. During the past fortnight, grassroots campaigns against the deportation of two boys from Ireland have made the headlines at home and abroad while shining a light on a serious shor

With the sudden passing of Erskine Childers in November 1974, Cearbhall Ó'Dálaigh was nominated as the sole presidential candidate by the three main political parties of the time, becoming the fifth President of Ireland in December 1974. During Ó'Dálaigh's presidency, Lia

Donal Dunne, associate in the dispute resolution team at Eugene F. Collins, writes on a recent High Court decision clarifying Irish law on litigation privilege over witness statements. The High Court has clarified the extent to which litigation privilege exists over witness statements in Irish law i

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan of Richard Grogan & Associates writes on a recent case clarifying the role of trade union officials in providing legal advice. In case ADJ-6034, the AO in this case held that a union official, regardless of his/her legal qualification, was quite capable of

Under Article 40.6.1(i) of the Constitution of Ireland, the ‘publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law’. Pursuant to this mandate, Section 31(1) of the Defamation Act 2009 states that ‘a per

Professor Colin Harvey, professor of human rights law at QUB School of Law, writes on the impact that Brexit could have on human rights in Northern Ireland. The impact of Brexit on human rights and equality in Northern Ireland is gaining increased attention. This is welcome. The public conversation

Clare Curran, partner and head of the matrimonial department at Worthingtons Solicitors in Belfast, writes on how divorce awards are determined. One aspect of divorce that surprises many clients when they come to discuss a marriage breakdown is how bad behaviour on the part of their spouse, perhaps

Dr Brian Barry, lecturer at DIT School of Law, writes on the importance of an appointments process that protects the independence of the judiciary. The appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court thrust the process for appointing judges to that court into the international spotlight. Asid