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Ireland has formally ratified the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. By ratifying, Ireland has become the 82nd party to the Convention, which was adopted in November 2001 at the 31st UNESCO General Conference.

Santa and his elves have shoplifted huge volumes of food to share with the needy at Christmastime. Police in Montréal, Canada say "masked and disguised individuals" stole food worth around $3,000 CAD (around €1,855 or £1,620) from a supermarket last week, CBC reports.

FLAC has recognised dozens of volunteers and human rights defenders with its annual Golden Pin awards. The awards are presented every year as part of FLAC's annual justice lecture, delivered last week by renowned human rights lawyer and academic Professor Colm Ó Cinnéide.

Northern Ireland's Pro Bono Choir has raised £8,000 for charity at its annual carol service in Belfast. Senior legal and judicial figures were in attendance for the service on Tuesday 9 December at the Good Shepherd Church, Belfast, held under the musical direction of Sheelagh Greer, accompani

The Legal Aid Board recorded a 15 per cent increase in applicants accessing civil legal aid services from law centres last year, according to its latest annual report. There were 28,050 civil legal aid applicants in 2024, with 11,689 of them relating to international protection applications —

Disruptive and violent conduct in court by litigants in person and their supporters is becoming increasingly common and "will not be tolerated", the president of the High Court has said. In a notice issued yesterday, Mr Justice David Barniville set out a list of measures that High Court judges can t

Northern Ireland firm Tughans has expanded its real estate team with the appointment of Catriona Sharkey as of counsel. Ms Sharkey joins Tughans from Sheehan in Dublin, bringing more than 15 years’ specialist experience advising on a broad range of commercial property matters across both

Ann Lalor has been appointed as group general counsel at Bank of Ireland. Ms Lalor will join Bank of Ireland in 2026 from multinational law firm Pinsent Masons, where she is currently partner and head of the Dublin office.

Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft are to merge in what has been described as the largest law firm combination in history. The combined firm, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, will be the world's fifth-largest law firm by revenue, with annual revenue in excess of $3.6 billion and a team of

Former criminal judge Gilbert P. Self has been sentenced to decades in prison for stealing from the public. The former judge of Alabama's criminal courts used judicial bank accounts to fund personal holidays, including a ski trip to Montana and a cycling trip across Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Global law firm Baker McKenzie has appointed Helena Woodward as executive director of its centre in Belfast. The firm's Belfast centre provides business and professional services support to its clients and offices around the world. Established in 2014, it now employs around 500 people.

A former internee's conviction for escaping lawful custody could be quashed by Northern Ireland's Court of Appeal due to doubts about the authenticity of a government minister's purported signature. Henry O'Rawe, who died in 2010, was convicted more than 50 years ago, on 25 March 1975, at Belfast Ci

A former sales assistant at JD Sports has settled a sexual harassment case against her former employer for £65,000 with support from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Jayla Boyd worked part-time in a Belfast store while studying for her A-Levels. During a shift, Ms Boyd was slapped

Five bus and taxi operators have been convicted of competition law offences following a first-of-its-kind trial. Andrew Walsh, Anthony Flynn, Larry Hickey, Noel Browne and Raymond Heney have been found guilty of engaging in an anti-competitive concerted practice contrary to sections 4 and 6 of the C

The parents of a Scottish teenager who died after being targeted by an Instagram sextortion gang have launched a wrongful death lawsuit against Meta in the US. Murray Dowey, 16, died at his family home in Dunblane in December 2023 after being deceived into sharing intimate images with an Instagram a