Northern Ireland

An additional £23 million has been allocated to progress reforms within Northern Ireland's justice system. The sum comprises £20.45m over five years which has been allocated to help speed up and transform the criminal justice system and £2.19m which has been allocated to an electro

Northern Ireland personal injury law firm JMK Solicitors has welcomed graduates Will Poland, Kerri Whiteside, Nikhil Kane, Lorna McKeown and Ryan O'Hanlon to the firm. Carmel Ross, operations director at JMK Solicitors, said: "We believe in the power of education and are passionate about creating an

Lewis Silkin lawyers Ciara Fulton and Orla Bingham consider the employment law landscape in Northern Ireland. Proposals for the introduction of miscarriage leave and ‘safe leave’ for victims of domestic abuse have recently been announced in Great Britain. These rights have been pending i

The Northern Ireland Executive has published its finalised programme for government for 2024 to 2027. The 98-page document includes a commitment to exploring the expansion of out-of-court disposals, including community resolution notices, in order to speed up cases and help to "reduce pressure on th

Queen's University Belfast law student Lee Curran has been named as the 2025 Lord Kerr Bar Scholar. Established in memory of the late Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, an alumnus of the university and former lord chief justice of Northern Ireland, the scholarship supports aspiring barristers in their pursuit

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has provided sentencing guidance on the new offence of "non-fatal strangulation" (NFS). Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal, Lord Justice Seamus Treacy remarked that “it is the duty of sentencing judges in Northern Ireland to give effect to the

Criminal barristers in Northern Ireland are ending an all-out boycott of all legally aided Crown Court cases amid an ongoing dispute over legal aid. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) said today that it will not extend the withdrawal of services which began at the start of January and was later exte

Northern Ireland firm Carson McDowell has appointed Gary Adair as a partner in its litigation and dispute resolution team. An expert in banking litigation and secured recovery actions, Mr Adair brings over 17 years of experience in insolvency, restructuring, and debt recovery.

Northern Ireland's justice minister is to launch reporting guidelines aimed at helping news organisations report effectively and sensitively on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls. First released in 2019, the Responsible Reporting Matters framework calls for journalists not to over-s

Caldwell & Robinson Solicitors has appointed family law specialist Terri McLaughlin as a solicitor in the firm's Derry office. Ms McLaughlin qualified as a solicitor in Northern Ireland in 2019 and brings significant experience in divorce and matrimonial law to the firm.

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has welcomed 130 new solicitors to the profession at its largest-ever admission ceremony, which drew over 500 attendees.

Judges in Northern Ireland are highly stressed, feel under-paid and are increasingly concerned about their personal safety, according to new research. Researchers at the UCL Judicial Institute this week published the findings of the 2024 UK Judicial Attitude Survey (JAS), a biennial longitudinal sur

Belfast-based Phoenix Law has promoted immigration solicitor Sinead Marmion to the position of senior associate. Ms Marmion joined the firm in 2019 and acts in all areas of asylum and immigration law, spanning multiple practice areas including human rights, public law and litigation.

An independent review of Northern Ireland's liquor licensing system has recommended major reform, including the establishment of a new Northern Ireland Licensing Authority and changes to the "surrender principle". The Department of Communities, which commissioned the University of Stirling's Institu

Northern Ireland's centuries-old ban on the use of the Irish language in the courts is to be repealed this week. Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge said it has been informed that Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn will this week commence section 4 of the Identity and Language (Northern Irel