Analysis

Professor Russell Sandberg suggests legal sanctions for blasphemy continue to exist in Britain following a ruling against Scottish comedian Fern Brady. The criminal offence of blasphemy is dead in England and Wales. It was unceremoniously abolished by section 79(1) of the Criminal Justice and Immigr

Amy McNicholas and Ana Harrington examine the legal implications of a new employment code of practice, outlining its key provisions and what businesses must do to comply with the updated guidelines. This week, the Department of Social Protection has released its Code of Practice on Determining Emplo

Legal academic Dr Dafni Lima responds to a new crackdown on surrogacy by Italy's far-right government. The Italian Senate recently passed a law making surrogacy a “universal crime”. In a country where surrogacy is already illegal, and has been since 2004, this decision takes restric

With Donald Trump taking legal advice on how to retain a US base on the Chagos Islands, Tom Marshall reviews a new book by Philippe Sands KC which reveals Britain’s duplicity in its dealings with the islanders of its last colony. The Chagos Archipelago, a small group of islands in the Indian O

Kevin Healy, solicitor at CKT, reviews a recent decision by Judge John O'Connor in the Circuit Court. An application was made under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 by the children of AB, who had previously been appointed as decision-making representatives (DMRs), for a deed of trans

A monumental new history of Irish republicanism in the Scottish city of Dundee reveals much of the Irish diaspora experience in Scotland and leaves Graham Ogilvy impressed by its thorough research. As a young boy, I walked through the derelict tenements of Tipperary every day to get to school.

Kane Tuohy employment lawyer Triona Cody examines all of the key provisions of recently approved legislation. President Michael D. Higgins has signed into law the Maternity Protection, Employment Equality and Preservation of Certain Records Bill 2024. We await the commencement order which will speci

The High Court has determined that no privilege attached to documents allegedly containing legal advice given by a retired solicitor where such advice could not have been provided legitimately by him. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Michael Twomey opined that “one could rega

Gráinne Duggan SC revisits the Apple tax case, examining the application of section 25 of the Tax Consolidation Act 1997. In September, the CJEU confirmed that Ireland provided unlawful state aid to Apple by granting the company favourable tax treatment contrary to EU law, marking the end of

Denise Kirwan, partner at CKT, reviews a recent Australian decision relating to the use of ChatGPT in child protection. The child protection agency in Victoria has been ordered to impose a ban on staff using websites that function using generative AI software after a social worker was discovered to

In his latest work, James Durney takes readers on a dramatic tour of republican prison escapes, writes Susie Deedigan. Jailbreak opens with Irish Republican Brotherhood president James Stephens’ relatively simple escape from Dublin’s Richmond Prison in 1865 and culminates in the far more

Kane Tuohy employment lawyer Triona Cody examines a recent case where an employee was sacked while awaiting confirmation of her visa renewal. In September 2024, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) awarded an employee €25,000 in compensation for unfair dismissal by her employer while awaiti

The Supreme Court has determined that a dispute on disclosure in a historical sexual abuse case was not a matter for judicial review and did not in any event warrant the prohibition of the trial. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Peter Charleton highlighted: “The responsibi

Eversheds Sutherland partner Lisa Boyd comments on the delay to a new procurement law in Northern Ireland. The Procurement Act, due to come into effect yesterday, has been delayed until 24 February 2025.

ILN's Connor Beaton talks to Philippa Greer about how UNRWA is battling to preserve international humanitarian law in Gaza, where at least 42,800 Palestinians have now been killed in Israel's military response to the October 7 attack. Philippa Greer had already accepted the top job in UNRWA’s