Coronavirus

More than a million audio or video connections have been made for remote and hybrid hearings in the Northern Ireland courts between the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 and the end of December 2021. The Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) said 56 courtrooms are now digi

An Irish lawyer was forced to withdraw face masks with the words "no comment" emblazoned on them after being warned they could fall foul of advertising regulations. The Law Society wrote to Ciarán Mulholland in 2020, early in the Covid-19 pandemic, following a complaint made by a fellow solic

Northern Ireland could be stuck with its current Covid-19 restrictions for some time in the absence of a fully-functioning Executive to make decisions on relaxing them, it has emerged. The Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Act 2022, which came into force earlier this m

Up to three people will be allowed to visit prisoners with effect from Monday, the Irish Prison Service has announced. Prison visits have been subject to various restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the prison service confirmed that up to three visitors – which may include two childr

The High Court has ruled that FBD Insurance plc must pay publicans for losses arising from the early closures of premises which occurred from 10 August 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a 201-page judgment, Mr Justice Denis McDonald held that the early closing requirement was a government-impose

The High Court has issued a further ruling in the landmark FBD case, dealing with issues around quantum. The test cases brought by four pubs – The Leopardstown Inn, Sinnotts, Seán’s Bar, and Lemon and Duke – concern their business interruption insurance policies with FBD and

Northern Ireland prisons will resume in-person visits from Monday, the Northern Ireland Prison Service has confirmed. Visits were suspended shortly after Christmas 2021 in response to the increased risk posed by the Omicron variant.

Employees will be given the statutory right to request remote working under new government legislation. Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste and minister for enterprise, trade and employment, yesterday published the general scheme of his Right to Request Remote Work Bill, which forms part of the government

Nightclubs and late bars will not have to pay court fees or their associated excise duty in relation to special exemptions orders (SEOs) under a waiver applying until the end of April 2022. The new waiver follows a previous waiver that was in place from 19 October 2021 to 31 December 2021.

Employees who lost out on redundancy pay due to their period on lay-off during Covid-19 restrictions will receive a special tax-free payment under new legislation. The Redundancy Payments (Amendment) Bill provides for a special payment of up to a maximum payment of €1,860 tax-free to bridge the

Physical court hearings are due to resume on a "phased basis" from Monday following a month dominated by Covid-19 disruption. Criminal jury trials in the Central Criminal Court and in the Circuit Court, and civil proceedings in the Court of Appeal, will be heard by way of a physical hearing from Mon

Thousands more people will be called for jury service in Northern Ireland this year in anticipation of a greater number of applications for excusal or deferral because of the pandemic. Some 40,300 people will be called for jury service this year, a 16 per cent increase on the 34,700 called last year

Northern Ireland's Labour Relations Agency (LRA) has reported a spike in calls from the hospitality sector following the emergence of the Omicron variant. The LRA's workplace information service (WIS) has seen a dramatic increase in calls over the past two weeks, most of which have been distress cal

A judge in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia has ruled that jurors who were not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 ought to be excused from jury service after the issue was raised during pre-trial proceedings. The trial took place at the Digby Pines Resort in Nova Scotia, Canada, as the local courthou

Prison visits in Northern Ireland will be suspended from Monday 27 December in response to concern about the Omicron variant. The Northern Ireland Prison Service has announced a number of "cautionary steps" to protect prisons from the threat of Covid-19 over the Christmas period.