Analysis

Emily Paisley, associate at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, explores what Northern Ireland parents can do if their child is refused admission to their preferred secondary school, or has been unplaced. As pupils look towards the summer holidays and the school year begins to wind down in May, parents

From martial arts to theatre, Lyn Harris, who was promoted to partner at Herbert Smith Freehills in Belfast last month, clearly likes to keep busy. As well as her day job in the Alternative Legal Services (ALT) disputes practice, Ms Harris has run theatre companies in her spare time and is currently

Elena Vassileva and Jemima Militti of Ronan Daly Jermyn discuss copyright and patent protection in relation to AI outputs and explore whether current IP rules are well suited to the world of AI. We live in a world where technology enjoys exponential growth and limitless developments. Such technologi

Frank Flanagan and Daragh O'Shea, partners at Mason Hayes & Curran LLP, warn of potential unintended consequences of EU sanctions on Russia. Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014 (as amended), concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, set out

Ciara Dowd BL reports on a recent judgment exploring wardship, involuntary treatment and best interests, wherein Ms Justice Niamh Hyland ultimately decided to make orders withdrawing coercive treatment in circumstances where such withdrawal is likely to mean Ms A will die. The High Court has made or

William Fry partners Colette Brady and Laura Scott give an update on litigation concerning EU law on supplementary protection certificates. Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) brought an appeal to the Supreme Court following its unsuccessful appeal to the Court of Appeal against the High Court's finding t

A business leader first and foremost is how Sarah Irwin, head of legal and company secretary at Tines, a fast-growing Irish tech start-up, describes herself – rather than a traditional in-house lawyer. And Ms Irwin, who has packed a lot of variety into her career, is now bringing like-minded p

A recent Court of Appeal judgment, In the matter of a Bankruptcy Petition by Allied Irish Banks PLC v Flynn [2022] IECA 60, confirms that the Rules of the Superior Courts can be used to substitute a creditor in bankruptcy proceedings. The background of this case was that AIB sold a debt to Everyday

Katherine McVeigh BL and Anne Conlon BL examine the key provisions of Ireland's proposed sick pay scheme. The recently published Sick Leave Bill 2021 intends to legislate for the first statutory sick pay scheme for all employees, both in the public and private sector.

On 31 March, justice minister Helen McEntee announced the introduction of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022, which aims to overhaul the current system for judicial appointments in Ireland. The legislative proposals arrived to much fanfare from the Department of Justice, with the bill be

The run-up to next month’s Northern Ireland Assembly elections has been dominated by the lingering impact of Brexit, with unionist opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol threatening to prevent the formation of a new power-sharing Executive. But Naomi Long, leader of the cross-community Al

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan considers the outcome in a recent case involving settlement agreements and waivers. This issue arose in the case of Philomena Hennessy and Ladbrooks Payments (Ireland) Limited and Ladbrooks (Ireland) [2022] IEHC 60, being a decision of Ms Justice Bolger delive

Matheson partner Ailbhe Dennehy examines two recent decisions of the Workplace Relations Commission which carry warnings for employers. Two separate unfair dismissal cases, where the complainants were awarded approximately €120,000 each, serve as a cautionary tale for employers and highlight th

In a written judgment delivered on the 7th of February 2022, Holland J explained why he granted summary judgment to the sum of €567,540.12 against the defendants in Allied Irish Banks Plc v Kharwar Wasim and Saher Khawar [2022] IEHC 62 (hereinafter Kharwar). His reasons can be summarised in thr

Claire Edgar, family law partner at Belfast-based Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors, comments on major changes to divorce in England and Wales. This week saw the introduction of no-fault divorce in England and Wales.