Northern Ireland

Senior officials from the Law Society of Northern Ireland joined colleagues from across Europe at a special reception hosted at the Law Societies Joint Brussels Office in Belgium.

The UK Supreme Court has refused to accept an application from the Attorney General for Northern Ireland to refer what he said was a “devolution issue” under the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The Attorney General submitted that, by providing postcode lists to the Secretary of State, Norther

The use of court houses for benefit appeal hearings in Northern Ireland has delivered reduced waiting times and costs, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. Although recognising that the matter is "a source of debate", Ms Long defended the practice in response to a written Assembly question from Sin

Former SDLP councillor Máiría Cahill has been granted leave by the High Court in Belfast to challenge the requirement for local election candidates to disclose their home address. Ms Cahill, who is supported in her case by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), withdrew

Law students at Ulster University bested their opponents from Queen's University Belfast to win the Northern Ireland knock-out round of the ESU-Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition. Ben Lowry and Cerys Kennedy led their university to its first victory over QUB in the competition "for mo

Solicitors from Northern Ireland joined colleagues from across Britain and Ireland at a major family law conference at Malaga over the weekend. The Four Jurisdictions Family Law Conference included sessions on the thorny issues facing practitioners involved in child law and financial remedies, led b

Northern Ireland's Attorney General John Larkin QC has been sworn in as a temporary High Court judge. The appointment follows that of six other barristers who have taken up positions on the bench while continuing their work at the Bar.

The full implementation of Sir John Gillen's recommendations for improving serious sexual offence trials in Northern Ireland "will take time", Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. The retired Court of Appeal judge issued his final report almost a year ago, making over 250 recommendations including

Court clerks and court assistants at the Laganside, Antrim, Ballymena and Coleraine courthouses are on strike today. Public sector trade union NIPSA said selective action in certain areas of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service is taking place as part of its broader dispute over civil s

Dr Catherine O'Rourke will take over as director of Ulster University's Transitional Justice Institute later this month. The senior lecturer in human rights and international law succeeds Professor Rory O'Connell at the head of the law-led multidisciplinary research centre, which focuses on "transit

Corporate law firm A&L Goodbody's Belfast office advised on deals worth £1.1 billion last year, greater in value than any other law firm in Northern Ireland for a sixth consecutive year. From 2014 to 2019, the Belfast office has advised on deals totalling over £6 billion, according t

Law student Gary Simpson has been named the inaugural winner of the Eversheds Sutherland Prize at Queen's University Belfast. Global law firm Eversheds Sutherland, with offices in Belfast and Dublin, will award the prize for three years to the student enrolled on the LLM International Business Law w

Carson McDowell has announced the promotion of Catherine Carton to partner in the firm's defence insurance team. Ms Carton, who qualified in 1999, specialises in the defence of employer’s liability and public liability claims, with a particular interest in claims arising in the retail, enginee

UK firm Shoosmiths has announced the appointment of real estate lawyer Mark Blair as a partner in the firm's Belfast office. Mr Blair is well-known in the Northern Ireland property market and his appointment is a key hire in broadening the firm's skill base and profile in the region, Shoosmiths said

Belfast-based Tughans has been named Northern Ireland's busiest corporate law firm for a fifth year in a row. The firm topped the Experian M&A and Real Estate Advisor League Table after advising on 53 deals worth £164 million over the course of 2019.