Northern Ireland

Former police officer Judith Gillespie has been appointed for a one-year term as the new independent chair on an inter-departmental working group on Mother and Baby Homes, Magdalene laundries and historical clerical child abuse. Ms Gillespie is the third person named as chair of the troubled group,

Human trafficking laws in Northern Ireland will be updated to create a new statutory duty to assist potential victims under proposals now being put to consultation. The proposals would also relax the requirement for the Department of Justice to publish a human trafficking strategy every year, allowi

UK law firm TLT has announced the appointment of Jason Byrne, the former head of Shoosmiths in Northern Ireland, as a partner in Belfast. Mr Byrne brings almost two decades of experience in insolvency and litigation to TLT, as well as financial services compliance and regulation.

Physical prison visits will resume in Northern Ireland later this month, Justice Minister Naomi Long has confirmed. Under new guidance, physical visits will be allowed to take place from 27 July, but virtual visits will remain "the preferred option".

Free public transport will be available from today for people fleeing domestic abuse, ministers have announced. The measure was first floated in May by Justice Minister Naomi Long and Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon after a similar free rail travel scheme was unveiled in England and Wales.

Lisa Bryson, partner and head of employment at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, considers the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in Northern Ireland. In some ways, it seems that the introduction of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or the ‘Furlough’ scheme as its more commonly referred

Cleaver Fulton Rankin has become the first law firm in Northern Ireland to use a new web-based solution to facilitate online dispute resolution (ODR). The firm recently used the Consumer Code for Online Dispute Resolution (CCODR) platform to resolve a client dispute using remote mediation.

New proposals for the retention of DNA and fingerprints in Northern Ireland have been brought forward more than seven years after MLAs voted to introduce a new retention regime. Justice Minister Naomi Long has launched a consultation on proposed amendments to the biometric provisions set out in Sche

Northern Ireland courts could have the power to depart from the acquis of EU law under proposals set out by the UK government yesterday. At present, only the UK Supreme Court and the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland will have this power from 31 December 2020.

Domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) will be introduced in Northern Ireland by the end of the year under plans published today. Justice Minister Naomi Long and Health Minister Robin Swann have jointly published their plan for year five of the seven-year domestic and sexual abuse strategy.

An emergency judicial review has been brought to the High Court over a district judge's refusal to extend non-molestation orders protecting victims of domestic abuse. Non-molestation orders under the Family Homes and Domestic Violence (NI) Order 1998 are designed to protect victims of domestic viole

Corporate and commercial law firm Mills Selig has announced the promotion of three senior associates to director. Richard Craig, Fiona McFall and Glenn Watterson have been promoted "in recognition of their continued excellence in their relevant fields and overall contribution to the firm".

MLAs will be asked to nominate Margaret Kelly for appointment as the new Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman. Ms Kelly has been identified by Stormont's corporate body, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, for nomination by the Assembly.

More than 6,000 charities are no longer registered in Northern Ireland following a court ruling earlier this year, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) has confirmed. In a legal update issued today, the regulator said the registration of charities which were registered prior to May 201

A new online complaints portal has been launched by the Law Society of Northern Ireland to support clients seeking to make a complaint about their solicitor. The portal aims to provide clients with access to an online platform on which to submit their complaint, underscoring the Society’s comm