News

The Irish government has condemned new Israeli legislation blocking the provision of water and electricity to UNRWA facilities. Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Slovenia and Spain say Israel's actions "undermine the UN mandate, violate international law and run counter to the findings of

Victim Support NI's chief executive officer, Janice Bunting, has received an MBE for services to victims and witnesses of crime. Ms Bunting is among 1,157 recipients of New Year honours across the UK, around five per cent of whom are from Northern Ireland.

A date has been set for English prosecutors' appeal against a decision to throw out terrorism charges brought against a member of Belfast rap trio Kneecap. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, also known by his stage name "Mo Chara", appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court last September to face

New legislation is to introduce a statutory basis for continuing professional development (CPD) for dentists. The proposed amendment of the Dentists Act 1985 will ensure continued patient safety, allow the public to retain confidence in the dental profession, and bring the regulation of the dental p

Former Legal Aid Board CEO John McDaid has been appointed as chairperson of the Adoption Authority of Ireland. Mr McDaid led the legal aid agency from 2014 until 2023, having joined in 1993 after a period of working in private practice as a solicitor in Dublin and in Australia.

A number of reforms under the landmark Planning and Development Act 2024 have now entered into effect. The key reforms in the latest phase of the Act's commencement relate for the most part to local authority development plans and local area plans.

Ireland now has a full-time, permanent team of investigators for marine accidents following the commencement of legislation. The Marine Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU) was established within the Department of Transport from 1 January 2026, replacing the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB)

Mayo barrister Darragh McDonagh BL has passed away. Mr McDonagh passed away on 1 January after an illness and was buried in his home town of Kiltimagh on Sunday.

The four bars across these islands have have expressed deep concern over UK government plans to restrict jury trials in England and Wales. Since the UK government announced its proposal to restrict the right to a jury trial in response to Sir Brian Leveson’s criminal courts review, the Bar of

Thousands of offenders in England and Wales had their alcohol levels tracked over the new year period by electronic tags that monitor their sweat levels. The tags — worn by 5,000 people who have been released from jail or are serving a community sentence — have kept them sober over the f

Scotland's unique 'not proven' verdict has now been abolished in all new criminal trials. 'Not proven' was previously available to juries as a verdict resulting in acquittal — identical in effect to a verdict of 'not guilty'.

Dr Carol Coulter is to lead the establishment of a new government-backed family law reporting project, modelled on the Child Law Project she started in 2012. The Family Law Reporting Project aims to enhance transparency for the public about private family law proceedings and build confidence in the

A solicitor who claimed she was working an average of 28 hours per day has been struck off the roll in England and Wales. Samina Ahmed recorded false time entries for 7,551.70 hours of work between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022 — an average of 28.24 hours per day.

New legislation on Garda powers will respond to judgments from the Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2025 was published just after Christmas and will modernise and consolidate the statutory basis for certain Garda powers, inc

US efforts to topple the Venezuelan government by military means are in breach of the UN Charter, the International Bar Association (IBA) has warned following the dramatic capture of Nicolás Maduro.