News

A new default speed limit of 60 km/h for rural local roads was introduced in Ireland on Friday, replacing the previous default 80 km/h limit. The change, which came into effect on Friday 7 February 2025, was made in response to the finding of the Department of Transport's speed limit review.

Major reforms to mental health legislation have been put back on the legislative agenda. The 202-section Mental Health Bill 2024, which will replace the existing Mental Health Act 2001, cleared second stage in the Dáil last September but fell when the election was called.

Belfast firm RP Crawford Solicitors has welcomed new solicitor Emily Dickson and three new paralegals. The new appointments follow the firm's recent expansion into new offices at No. 15 Stranmillis Road in Belfast's Queen's Quarter.

Law Society of Ireland director general Mark Garrett has been appointed to the board of directors of Community Law & Mediation. Mr Garrett has served as the Law Society's director general since January 2022, having previously worked as Eamon Gilmore's chief of staff — during his tenure as

Aoife Gallagher-Watson has been appointed as director in employment law at EY Law Ireland. A specialist in the areas of employment and work health and safety law, Ms Gallagher-Watson has over 15 years' experience working in-house and with top-tier law employment teams in Ireland and overseas.

Ed Sheeran was forced to end an impromptu performance on the streets of Bangalore after being shut down by police for illegal busking. A member of the public complained to police after the singer, one of the world's best-selling musicians, started performing in the southern Indian city over the week

A new research report on the extent and impact of childhood trauma in Northern Ireland has been launched by justice minister Naomi Long. Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have carried out the first comprehensive assessment of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Northern Ireland's adul

Judges have submitted proposals for a 16.7 per cent increase in personal injury awards to justice minister Jim O'Callaghan. The first proposed update to the personal injuries guidelines since their introduction in 2021 will see the award of general damages for the most devastating and catastrophic o

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners have been invited to share their insights with The Bar of Ireland. A five-minute survey is seeking views which will be compiled into a comprehensive, free report on the state of ADR in Ireland in 2025, which will be valuable to both practitioners an

The EU has launched a consultation on revision to state aid rules in order to bring them in line with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention. The European Commission has prepared draft amendments to the state aid Implementing Regulation (EC) No 794/2004 and to the state aid Best Practices Code (B

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Sudanese people are ‘starving to death’, Human Rights Watch says

Lewis Silkin has appointed Emma Wightman as a senior associate and Megan Kerr as an associate in its Belfast office. Ms Wightman brings extensive expertise and experience as a commercial litigator in managing complex legal cases and providing strategic counsel to a diverse range of business clients.

Flynn O'Driscoll has appointed six new senior associates and two new associates across the firm's corporate, litigation and banking teams. The new senior associates are Claire Atkinson, Cian Mannion, Alison Kenny and Danny Heffernan, while the new associates are Éanna Bane and Ryan Hunt.

Cocaine is as harmless as whiskey and only illegal "because it is made in Latin America", the president of Colombia has said. Gustavo Petro, who presides over the world's largest producer of cocaine, claimed that scientists had analysed the drug and come to that conclusion, CBS News reports.

The US is to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) after Donald Trump accused it of having "engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel". The court issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders in November 2024 — which Tr