Coronavirus

Laura Banks, solicitor at Francis Hanna & Co, considers how human rights law can assist people experiencing a bereavement related to coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic has wide-reaching implications and it is therefore throwing up myriad issues in our society, some of them fundamental and going

Prominent Belfast solicitor Niall Murphy, who spent 16 days in an induced coma while battling coronavirus, has returned home after being treated for the illness. Mr Murphy, 43, is a partner at KRW LAW LLP and is known for his work as a criminal defence lawyer and in representing victims of state vio

A parole hearing is set to take place via video link for the first time in Northern Ireland. The Parole Commissioner of Northern Ireland had earlier issued guidance that all parole hearings at prisons and at Shannon Clinic would be postponed until further notice.

Dr Seán Ó Conaill carries out a textual analysis of the Constitution to examine whether the Oireachtas can sit remotely. Reports emerged today that advice has been issued to TDs and Senators which suggests that the Houses of the Oireachtas cannot sit remotely because the text of the Co

Approved organisations have been reminded by The Bar of Ireland that they can directly access barristers for legal opinion on a wide range of matters. The Bar issued the reminder about the Direct Professional Access Scheme in response to widespread legal uncertainty created by the coronavirus crisis

Litigation is set to be brought against the decision not to carry out mass testing for coronavirus in Northern Ireland care homes. Belfast firm KRW LAW LLP is acting on behalf of Keith Gray, whose mother is a resident in a care home in Castlewellan, Co Down.

Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland programme director at Amnesty International, argues against a return to "business as usual" after the coronavirus pandemic is over. Amid the rising death toll, the dangers faced by our front line workers and the wider dislocation for a society dealing with COVID-19

Healthcare workers should be granted "immunity" from civil liability for medical negligence during the coronavirus pandemic, the Medical Defence Union (MDU) has said. The largest medical defence organisation in the UK, which provides legal support to around 200,000 healthcare workers, said existing

Police are preparing enforcement action for alleged licensing law breaches against a pub which has been delivering pints of Guinness during the lockdown. Belfast pub Hatfield House has been offering a "Guinness-on-wheels" service out of adapted vans, with plastic cups of the stout left on customers'

The first-ever remote hearings in the Irish courts began in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal this morning as part of a pilot of the new technology. The pilot was announced earlier this month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the administration of justice.

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan of Richard Grogan & Associates flags up a legislative flaw that could have a major impact after the coronavirus pandemic. Section 678 of the Companies Act 2014 is a problem in the making for employment lawyers. You might wonder why it would have any releva

A criminal defence lawyer has acted remotely for a client in a police interview in a Northern Ireland first. A digital mechanism was put in place after Ciarán Kerr-Johnston, solicitor at Belfast-based Brentnall Legal Ltd, issued pre-action proceedings against the PSNI on behalf of a client wh

A judge has criticised a policy of putting all new prisoners, including those on remand, in isolation for 14 days. Seven prisoners were unable to appear at Cork District Court via video link yesterday because there are no video facilities in isolation, the Irish Examiner reports.

Prisoner numbers in Ireland should be brought down faster through measures including presumption of bail, increased use of non-custodial sanctions and early releases in order to protect prisoners' rights, the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has said. The penal reform group made the remarks in respon

The temporary wage subsidy scheme introduced three weeks ago has been updated to address "anomalies". The changes announced yesterday apply to workers earning less than €500 per week (equivalent to €31,000) as well as those earning in excess of €586 per week (equivalent to €38,00