Northern Ireland

The UK government has pressed ahead with legislation unilaterally rewriting the Northern Ireland Protocol agreed with the EU – in spite of opposition from a majority of Stormont politicians. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill was published by ministers yesterday alongside a memo on the governm

Controversial legislation overriding parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol will be introduced to Westminster today. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill will be presented to MPs by foreign secretary Liz Truss this afternoon, though no debate will take place at this stage.

Employment lawyer Paul Gillen has joined Lewis Silkin as a partner in the firm's Belfast office. Mr Gillen joins Lewis Silkin from Pinsent Masons, where he headed the firm’s island of Ireland employment law team.

Northern Ireland's High Court has rejected all grounds of appeal against an extradition warrant to Poland. Although Poland’s courts had a "general systemic deficiency", the court held that this did not create a presumption that the applicant would be denied a fair trial. The applicant, Kamil C

A group of young men, known as the "Derry Four", were coerced into confessing to the murder of a soldier in 1979, an investigation by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has concluded. The watchdog investigated on the foot of complaints from the men, three of whom were aged 17 at the time and

Activity in the Northern Ireland courts returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, according to new figures. The latest statistical bulletin from the Department of Justice shows that the number of prosecutions disposed at Crown Court in 2021 was 1,598, a 37.4 per cent increase from 2020, while prosecu

Northern Ireland’s High Court has rejected several grounds of challenge against planning permission for a GAA stadium in Casement Park, Belfast. In a post script, Mr Justice Michael Humphreys also rebuked counsel over an expert witness who said the planning permission was "unlawful", which dem

Matthew Howse, partner at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, considers the impact of the Electronic Communications Code on landowners in Northern Ireland. Despite significant reforms and changes in 2017, the Electronic Communications Code is set to be amended once more when the Product Security and Te

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has called for urgent clarity on what funding it will receive from the UK government after EU funding is withdrawn next year. The equality watchdog has published a new research report exploring the impact of the loss of EU funding on equality groups in No

A judge in Northern Ireland's High Court has rebuked lawyers over an expert witness who said the planning permission at the centre of the case was "unlawful". Mr Justice Michael Humphreys made the remarks after rejecting several grounds of challenge against planning permission for a GAA stadium in C

Richard Armstrong, partner at Arthur Cox, examines recent changes in gaming and betting law in Northern Ireland. On 26 April 2022, the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 was granted Royal Assent. The 2022 Act was brought into force in response to the Re

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal by a convicted terrorist who was sentenced to a 22-year minimum life sentence after killing a prison officer in a car bombing. The court found that killing a prison officer warranted a lengthy sentence, and the appellant’s alleged

Barrister Ryan Cushley has been elected as chair of the Employment Lawyers Group Northern Ireland (ELGNI). The group held its AGM yesterday, where Mr Cushley was elected alongside vice-chair Emma McIlveen, secretary Sarah Cochrane, treasurer Aisling Byrne and other committee members.

Solicitors Anne Marshall and Alana McSorley have been appointed as district judges in Northern Ireland. The two women were sworn into office yesterday before Dame Siobhan Keegan, the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is considering whether to launch an investigation into the use of strip-searches against dozens of under-18s last year. A recent investigation by The Detail revealed that PSNI officers strip-searched children and young people under the age of 1