Northern Ireland

Lucy Clarke, associate in litigation and dispute resolution at Carson McDowell, writes on the launch of the new Commercial Hub in the Northern Ireland courts. On 29th April 2019 the new Commercial Practice Direction (No 1 of 2019) came into operation. It applies to ALL litigated commercial actions w

John McKee welcomed its corporate and financial industry clients to its Belfast headquarters for a special event highlighting the work of its charity partner, International Justice Mission (IJM). Representatives of Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland, Kerr Henderson, Danske Bank and Santander were among th

A woman who objected to the Union Flag being flown at Omagh Courthouse on prescribed days has lost her appeal against the decision that the legislation did not breach the guarantee of parity of esteem under the Good Friday Agreement. Concluding that the legislation was not discriminatory, Mr Justice

Legislation to establish a redress scheme for victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland will not be progressed through Westminster, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said. The head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) earlier wrote to Ms Bradley t

Belfast solicitor Laura Banks has been named "Employee of the Year" at the 2019 Belfast Business Awards.

Northern Ireland's chief legal adviser, Attorney General John Larkin QC, will remain in the post until July 2020 following his reappointment by Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley. Ms Bradley today announced Mr Larkin's reappointment for a 13-month period, commencing on 24 May 2019 until 3

Northern Ireland's justice system is increasingly being used as a service of last resort for people with mental health issues, according to a new report. The Comptroller and Auditor General, Kieran Donnelly, published his report on Mental Health in the Criminal Justice System to coincide with Mental

The head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service has written to Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley to ask her to progress legislation to provide redress for survivors of institutional childhood abuse. The Executive Office (TEO), in the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive, drafted

Keystone Northern Ireland has advised the first business to receive backing from a £30 million growth fund set up by the British Business Bank, Invest NI and the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee. A team led by director and senior corporate lawyer John McMaho

A man who was convicted of rape and indecent assault in 1996 has lost a challenge to the mechanism for reviewing notification requirements. Rejecting the application, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan was satisfied that the review mechanism was compatible with the European Convention of Human Rights, and t

The family of a teenager who was murdered by loyalists in 1973 have launched a lawsuit against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for alleged misfeasance in public office and negligence. Henry Cunningham, from Co Donegal, was shot dead at 16 years old following a UVF ambush in August 1973.

Family law expert Claire Edgar, partner at Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors, addressed a major Belfast conference about the legal remedies for victims of domestic abuse. Ms Edgar was invited to speak at a conference hosted by the Belfast Domestic and Sexual Violence Partnership (BDSVP), which was a

A district judge has questioned whether the Forensic Science Service treats murders in Belfast as a higher priority than murders in Derry. Judge Barney McElholm, sitting in Londonderry Magistrates' Court yesterday, criticised the service over a delay in receiving forensic reports relating to a trial

Restricted public access to rape trials and the provision of publicly-funded legal advice to complainants are among the final recommendations of the judge-led review into serious sexual offence trials.

The Department of Finance has announced a "full and comprehensive" review of the non-domestic rating system in Northern Ireland. The review will begin with the launch of a joint "Innovation Lab" with other government departments this July, bringing together experts in urban regeneration and taxation