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Legislation allowing for missing people to be declared presumed dead by the courts will be brought into force this week. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan yesterday signed the commencement order to bring the Civil Law (Presumption of Death) Act 2019 into operation from Friday 1 November 2019.

Long-awaited legislation on domestic abuse and redress for victims and survivors historical institutional abuse is unlikely to be approved by MPs before it dissolves for an early election. The Domestic Abuse Bill, which would introduce a new offence of coercive control in Northern Ireland, is still

A child who suffered a traumatic brain injury shortly after her birth is to be awarded £2.5 million in damages under a settlement approved by the High Court in Belfast. Solicitor Harry McAleese of McCartan Turkington Breen (MTB) represented the 12-year-old girl in her claim against the Norther

Dr Anne Smith and Professor Colin Harvey consider the case for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland in our current Brexit-dominated landscape. A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland remains part of the unfinished work of the Belfast Agreement/Good Friday Agreement (the B/GFA). It is still needed, an

A former mushroom farm worker who worked more than 80 hours per week has been awarded €21,400 by the Labour Court. Ana Lacramoiara Manciu, 30, brought the case with support from the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) and A&L Goodbody.

Facebook has reached an agreement with the Information Commissioner's Office to pay a £500,000 fine in connection with the Cambridge Analytica scandal with no admission of liability. The fine was issued to the social media giant just over a year ago after the watchdog identified suspected fail

Eversheds Sutherland partner Aisling Gannon has been named a 2019 LGBT+ Ally Role Model by OUTstanding in recognition of her work on the firm's diversity and inclusion initiatives. Ms Gannon, who has a transgender child, is an active member of Perspective, the firm's employee network for LGBT+ staff

Belfast-based Wilson Nesbitt Solicitors won two awards in recognition of its conveyancing service. The firm received two gold awards in the Northern Ireland and County Antrim categories at the ESTAS Customer Service Awards 2019, sponsored by SearchFlow.

A round-up of deals involving Irish law firms. Submit your deals to newsdesk@irishlegal.com. Eversheds Sutherland provided legal and tax support to membership platform Patreon on its European expansion.

A funeral ended on an unexpected high note after mourners unknowingly ingested hash cake. Police are investigating the culinary mix-up that led to the cannabis-infused confection being served at the restaurant hosting a funeral party after a burial.

A man who was “caught red-handed” at the scene of a largescale drugs distribution unit where over €4.1 million worth of cannabis and diamorphine was seized by gardaí, has had his sentence increased to 10 years in the Court of Appeal. Quashing the sentence of seven years impos

PA Duffy & Co Solicitors has announced the appointment of Emma McCaul as a solicitor in the firm's conveyancing department. Ms McCaul will be dealing with residential and commercial property matters, wills drafting and administration of estates, including tax planning, enduring powers of attorne

Solicitor partnerships will be able to register as limited liability partnerships (LLP) from this Friday. The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) has confirmed it will accept applications from 1 November 2019, with further information regarding LLPs and the application process to be made avai

The implications of Brexit for legal practices is one of the issues being explored at a series of events taking place throughout Northern Ireland this week. The events, organised by the Law Society of Northern Ireland, aim to provide local solicitors with up-to-date information on Brexit and a platf

A female engineer who alleged she was subjected to unlawful sex discrimination has settled a case against her former employer for £5,000 with support from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Grants Electric Services (NI) Ltd settled the case with former employee Amy Verner without ad