Northern Ireland

The winter 2020 edition of the Journal of Elder Law and Capacity has been published by the Law Society of Northern Ireland. Available from the Law Society website, it includes articles on advance directives, discretionary variation of trusts and solicitors' experience as executors, as well as book r

Victims of sexual offences will receive publicly-funded independent legal advice under a pilot scheme launched today. The new scheme fulfils one of the recommendations of retired Court of Appeal judge Sir John Gillen’s high-profile review of the law and procedures in serious sexual offences in

Crucial reforms to sexual offence trials have been delayed and victims of sexual offences now have to wait up to three years for a trial to commence as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. A new report from Criminal Justice Inspectorate Northern Ireland (CJINI) highlights improvements in the way sexua

Lawyers have launched a class action lawsuit against the UK government over the economic impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Ballymena-based haulage company Blair International and DUP MP Ian Paisley have been named as the initial claimants in the claim form lodged with the High Court in London

A new chairperson will be appointed to the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) in May following a one-month extension to the current chair's term. Economy Minister Diane Dodds yesterday announced that Marie Mallon would remain in place as chair of the LRA board until 30 April 2021.

No prosecutions followed the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry despite 190 complaints of criminal activity being passed to the PSNI and 77 files being passed to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS). The figures were revealed yesterday in the first of a new series of online events organise

An increasing number of cases involving allegations of parental alienation are coming before the Northern Ireland courts, a family lawyer has warned. Claire Edgar, family law partner at Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors, shared her experience as a practitioner at an online event organised by the Sou

This year's increases in the limits for payments and awards to workers in employment rights cases in Northern Ireland have been confirmed. From 6 April, the limit on the compensatory award for unfair dismissal will rise from £88,693 to £89,669, while the maximum amount of "a week's pay"

Solicitors, barristers and rights campaigners attended a "hybrid" roundtable event hosted by the Law Society of Northern Ireland and the Bar Council of Northern Ireland to discuss the independent review of the Human Rights Act.

Sir Declan Morgan's successor as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland will be named by the second week of September. The Office of the Lord Chief Justice today launched a recruitment process to fill the vacancy which will arise when Sir Declan turns 70 this year.

The personal injury discount rate will be dramatically lowered from 2.5 per cent to -1.75 per cent, Justice Minister Naomi Long has announced. The rate will be changed from 31 May through secondary legislation owing to delays in steering the Damages (Return on Investment) Bill through Stormont.

Northern Ireland will not follow New Zealand in providing parental bereavement leave and pay for couples following a miscarriage. MPs in New Zealand this week approved legislation which will make the country one of only two in the world to provide paid leave in the event of miscarriages and stillbir

Belfast firm Millar McCall Wylie has welcomed two new trainee solicitors, bringing its total to eight within the last two years.

Proposals to introduce a statutory duty of candour in the healthcare system will go out to consultation next month. Health Minister Robin Swann yesterday told MLAs that a 16-week public consultation would open on Monday 12 April 2021.

Legislation banning the likes of teachers and social workers from having sex with under-18s in their care is set to be extended to cover sports coaches and faith leaders. Justice Minister Naomi Long yesterday announced plans to bring an amendment to the Justice (Miscellaneous) Provisions Bill later