News

Our weekly round-up of human rights stories from around the world. South Korean women file landmark lawsuit accusing US military of systematic role in sex trade

South Africa's constitutional court has ruled against a law barring husbands from taking their wives' surnames. The apartheid-era legislation was ruled unconstitutional for discriminating on the basis of gender, South African newspaper The Citizen reports.

Albania has appointed an AI chatbot as a government minister who it says will be "free of corruption". "Diella" — meaning "Sun" in Albanian — has been put in charge of public procurement, The Guardian reports.

Ireland must "accelerate" the implementation of a landmark 2020 review of the administration of justice to remain economically competitive, a new action plan says. The government this week published its new action plan on competitiveness and productivity, which was promised in the programme for gove

Thousands of Dublin Airport car park customers are to receive refunds after being overcharged by more than €25,000, following action by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). The CCPC intervention followed consumer complaints to its helpline about pricing during 'flash sales

A first-year law student at Dublin City University (DCU) has won an essay competition held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Law Reform Commission. Ella Santoro won first place in the competition with an essay arguing in favour of an increase in the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Irelan

Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge has applied for leave to formally intervene in a legal challenge to the erection of dual-language signage at Grand Central Station in Belfast. The group, which is separately bringing judicial review proceedings over the Northern Ireland Executive and communiti

Solicitor Paul Mageean is to serve a third three-year term as chief parole commissioner for Northern Ireland. Parole commissioners help to make decisions on the release or otherwise of those serving extended or indeterminate sentences and in relation to the revocation of licences and recall to priso

Coroners in Northern Ireland will be able to investigate some deaths abroad under proposed new legislation. Naomi Long, the justice minister, yesterday published her plans for coronial investigations into deaths abroad, which seek to put families at the centre of the process.

Legal and tax advisory firm Orbitus has launched a new HR advisory division led by Jennifer O'Brien. In her new role as head of HR, Ms O’Brien will provide companies and employers nationwide with specialist HR services and support.

Belfast firm O'Reilly Stewart has welcomed Dominic McCasland and Shay Maguire as its first-ever degree apprentices. A degree apprenticeship is a work-based training programme which provides an alternative route to getting a university degree, where apprentices complete their course alongside paid pe

Northern Ireland commercial law firm Tughans has announced a charity partnership with Sands, the UK's leading pregnancy and baby loss charity. Sands provides vital support to anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby, whilst also funding pioneering research to save babies’

Solicitor Deirdre-Ann Barr has been reappointed as chairperson of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS). Ms Barr was previously a corporate partner at Matheson and later served as the firm's head of risk and then as its general counsel.

A prisoner accused of threatening to shoot an officer after being served a jacket potato for lunch has gone on trial. Nicholas Brock, 57, a far-right sympathiser from Berkshire, England is currently serving a sentence for possessing terrorist materials. He is alleged to have threatened to kill a pri

Belfast law firm Edwards Solicitors has said it is extremely disappointed and frustrated over the failure to make an offer of compensation to thousands of officers and staff involved in the PSNI data breach. In a review hearing yesterday, the High Court was told that despite a business case for a un