Analysis

As a summer of horrors unfolds in Gaza, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (Mark Stephens CBE, IBAHRI co-chair, Hina Jilani, IBAHRI co-chair and Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, IBAHRI director) asks the international community: if not now, when will it be time to act? Death, s

William Fry partners Barry Scannell and Leo Moore welcome the publication of the European Commission's long-awaited mandatory AI training data template. From August 2025, the European Commission will require providers of general-purpose AI (GPAI) models to publish a summary of the content used to tr

Anthony Fay considers how Big Tech companies like Meta could collide with Irish and EU law as they try to tackle sector-wide challenges. The first half of 2025 has been turbulent for the tech sector — marked by fines from the Irish Data Protection Commission, staffing recalibrations after pand

From Dublin to Dundee and Belfast to Birmingham, the labouring poor of 19th century Britain and Ireland had to contend with the widespread scourge of child-stripping – the theft of their children’s clothing by heartless thieves who faced the full rigour of the law when apprehended. Local

Alastair Tibbs reviews Netflix's new documentary on the Grenfell Tower fire. In the early hours of 14 June 2017, the London sky was ignited. What started as a spark from a faulty fridge soon became the blaze that claimed the lives of 72 men, women and children. It was, however, a perfect storm of ne

Eoin Jackson analyses the ICJ's landmark climate change opinion. On Wednesday this week, the International court of Justice (ICJ) released its landmark Advisory Opinion on states' obligations in respect of climate change. An Advisory Opinion is a non-binding opinion provided by the ICJ which clarifi

Matheson partner Mark O'Sullivan and solicitor Cormac Phelan examine an important Irish court ruling on the tax residence of a US company. The Court of Appeal recently affirmed a previous decision of the High Court, ruling that a disregarded US LLC was not a resident of the US for the purposes of th

Dear Editor, The announcement by the UK government that it plans to lower the voting age to 16 as part of changes to their electoral system highlights the lack of progress on this matter in Ireland.

In October of 1739 an Irish merchant vessel, the William, slipped out of Donaghadee harbour near Belfast and sailed into infamy. Its stated goal of collecting Norwegian timber shrouded the dark mission of its master William Davidson — to kidnap Scottish crofters and sell them into slavery in t

Robert Shiels reviews a new book linking industrial pollution to a cluster of serial killers.

A solicitor who was forced out of her home by a relentless campaign of criminal harassment has urged legal professionals to break the “taboo” of speaking out about abuse. Emma Lyons, who runs a family and criminal law practice in west Belfast, joined the Law Society of Northern Ireland&r

Dear Editor, The latest LSRA report has been published on pathways into the legal profession. Despite many welcome figures about increased diversity within legal education and early practice, there is still a gross lack of consideration for disabled people as legal practitioners.

Family lawyer Keith Walsh SC responds to a call in The Irish Times for greater recognition of Charles Haughey's legislative achievements, in particular the Succession Act 1965. While the debate on the legacy of Charles J. Haughey may occupy summer schools and academics from here until eternity, the

Kane Tuohy partner Triona Cody considers what HR professionals need to know about fixed-term contracts. Managing risk and avoiding legal claims is an important part of the role of HR professionals in the workplace.

It’s certainly been an eventful summer for partner Darragh Mackin at Belfast solicitors Phoenix Law. Many of the firm’s cases have been in the public eye, and probably none so much as the discrimination case successfully brought by Irish language rap group Kneecap against the UK governme