The High Court has awarded compensatory damages to two men who were left street homeless, hungry and destitute after seeking international protection in Ireland. Handing down judgment on quantum yesterday, Mr Justice Cian Ferriter awarded €9,500 to one applicant, anonymised as SA, and €6,0
Latest Articles
Appointments
See all articlesWilliam Wilson has been elected as chair of the Northern Ireland Young Solicitors' Association (NIYSA) following its 2026 AGM. Mr Wilson, who leads the property department at Lacey & Co Solicitors, will be supported over the coming year by Katherine Macauley of Joseph Magee & Co as vice-chai
Philip Lee LLP has welcomed two new partners, with Bláthnaid Evans joining the firm's employment practice and Edon Byrnes joining the corporate and M&A team. Both lawyers were previously partners at Ogier, where Ms Evans was also head of employment and immigration.
Philip Lee LLP has promoted Patrick Butler to head of corporate secretarial services. Mr Butler founded the firm's corporate secretarial department and the promotion recognises his work in establishing and growing the practice area for the firm's clients.
RDJ LLP has welcomed seven newly-qualified solicitors across its corporate and commercial, employment, real estate and tax teams. Sarah Alexander, Ciara Hurley and Scion Flanagan have joined the firm's corporate and commercial team.
Dublin firm Reddy Charlton LLP has welcomed Emma Gunn as a senior associate in its property and private client department. Ms Gunn advises on all aspects of residential and commercial purchases, sales and re-mortgages, and assists in large-scale property transactions.
Bria Mongan OBE has been appointed as deputy chair of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI). Ms Mongan, who was already a member of the board, will serve in the post until 29 February 2028, aligning with the wider membership of the board.
Northern Ireland
See all articlesPlans to increase the maximum sentence for causing or allowing a child or vulnerable adult to die in Northern Ireland will not be implemented until after the next election. The Department of Justice today published a summary of responses from a public consultation which was carried out from June to
William Wilson has been elected as chair of the Northern Ireland Young Solicitors' Association (NIYSA) following its 2026 AGM. Mr Wilson, who leads the property department at Lacey & Co Solicitors, will be supported over the coming year by Katherine Macauley of Joseph Magee & Co as vice-chai
Nexus NI is to continue managing Northern Ireland's domestic and sexual abuse helpline after being awarded a three-year contract. The contract — which can optionally be extended twice for periods of two years each — was awarded jointly by the Department of Justice, Department of Health a
Self-employed people and personal employees working with vulnerable groups will now be able to obtain enhanced criminal record checks in Northern Ireland. Changes to the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order (Northern Ireland) 1979 will widen access to "AccessNI Enhanced" checks.
Bria Mongan OBE has been appointed as deputy chair of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI). Ms Mongan, who was already a member of the board, will serve in the post until 29 February 2028, aligning with the wider membership of the board.
Universities
See all articlesMatheson has launched the 2026 Tim Scanlon Corporate Law Bursary, which honours late Matheson partner and former chairperson Tim Scanlon. Established in 2022, the bursary is delivered as part of Matheson’s impactful business programme and is open to undergraduate and postgraduate law students.
A new report argues that an unexpected interpretation of the Scotland Act by the UK Supreme Court has caused confusion over how laws are made in the UK’s devolved parliaments, including Stormont. The report argues the court’s reading of section 28(7) of the Act has made it harder for dev
The High Court has refused to restrain a disciplinary process initiated by University College Dublin against a fifth-year medical student. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Ms Justice Marguerite Bolger found that there was no fair issue to be tried and was not satisfied that the impugned proce
Gillian O'Hanlon BL
Arthur Cox has again invited applications to a €10,000 renewable energy bursary awarded annually in memory of the firm's late partner and consultant Niamh Burke. The Niamh Burke Renewable Energy Bursary 2026, organised in conjunction with Wind Energy Ireland, offers an award to students pursuin
Students have been invited to participate in the Law Society of Ireland's human rights and equality committee's annual essay competition. The competition, organised in association with A&L Goodbody, promotes student engagement with contemporary human rights and equality issues while offering a m
Interviews
See all articlesFebruary is proving a busy time for Seán Brassil. Last month he was appointed general counsel at the Irish Rugby Football Union, 10 years after first writing to the IRFU offering his services during the court vacation period with a view to gaining experience in an industry about which he&rsqu
Visitors to Galway will be familiar with attractions such as the city’s Spanish Arch, Cathedral and Latin Quarter. Perhaps less so, however, with its reputation as a major European hub for the medical technology sector. With its established cluster of global medtech companies, strong links wit
Colin Cardwell
Adam Synnott has the felicitous capacity to combine brisk efficiency with engaging affability. It’s a useful admixture that undoubtedly facilitates his career at EY Law Ireland, a stand-alone, regulated law firm which forms part of the global EY network. Mr Synnott, partner and head of corpora
Colin Cardwell
The word that regularly recurs in Constance Cassidy’s vocabulary is “busy”. Often augmented to “busy, busy, busy”. It’s hardly surprising. The senior counsel’s day has begun some five hours before our mid-morning interview and the number of appointments in h
Colin Cardwell
October is European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM), the EU's annual campaign dedicated to promoting cybersecurity among its citizens and organisations, and to providing current online security information. Ironically, it has coincided with Amazon Web Services (AWS) experiencing a recent major outage in
Colin Cardwell







