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A bill to allow barristers and solicitors to jointly provide legal services will soon be published, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said. The general scheme for the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 was first published in June 2021. Its provisions governing the introd

Global investment in data centre infrastructure more than doubled in 2021 and is expected to grow at the same pace this year, according to research by DLA Piper. A new report from the global law firm finds that total investment increased from $24.4 billion in 2020 to $59.5 billion in 2021, while the

Solicitor Jose Lazaro has been appointed as the new honorary vice-consul of Spain in Belfast. Mr Lazaro, a solicitor and abogado in the corporate and commercial team at MKB Law since 2020, is a qualified Spanish, Irish and UK lawyer, and was the first Spanish lawyer to qualify in Northern Ireland as

More houses and buildings will be able to install solar panels on their roofs without any requirement for planning permission under proposals now out for consultation. The consultation, which will close on 13 July 2022, follows a review of the solar panel planning exemptions set out in the Planning

Legal bodies have hit back at UK prime minister Boris Johnson's claim that lawyers representing refugees were “abetting the work of criminal gangs” amid attempts to prevent asylum seekers from being removed to Rwanda. The plan to send a man to Rwanda was last night interrupted by a rulin

An antisemitic sculpture can remain on the facade of a church, Germany's highest court has ruled. The 13th century Judensau in the eastern town of Wittenberg depicts a rabbi lifting the tail of a sow while two Jewish children suckle at its teats.

The European Court of Human Rights has granted an urgent interim measure in the case of K.N. v. the United Kingdom, an asylum-seeker facing imminent removal to Rwanda. The court received a request yesterday to indicate an urgent interim measure to the UK government, under Rule 39 of the Rules of Cou

There are just two days left to apply for the Lord Kerr Scholarship at Queen's University Belfast School of Law. Given in memory of the former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and UK Supreme Court justice, the scholarship is intended to encourage the very best home and international students t

John McShane, partner and head of employment at McCartan Turkington Breen, has completed a gruelling triathlon in aid of charity. The Carrickfergus Castle Triathalon consists of a 750m sea swim, a 20km cycle and ends with a 5km run. Mr McShane undertook a rigorous training regime for several months

Legislation providing for an enhanced redress scheme for homeowners affected by the Mica scandal is now being drafted after being given the go-ahead by ministers. The redress scheme to be established under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022, which

Ronan Daly Jermyn has announced it will now be known simply as RDJ following a rebranding exercise. The firm yesterday revealed its new logo, website and identity, developed in collaboration with brand consultancy RichardsDee.

Prison leavers believed to be likely to re-offend when drinking will face alcohol bans monitored with electronic tags under a new scheme rolled out across England. Under the scheme, first piloted in Wales, probation officers will be able to keep a closer eye on offenders' behaviour through the use o

Animal rights advocates have failed to persuade a court that an elephant named Happy is legally a person. New York's highest appeals court ruled by 5-2 that Asian elephant Happy has not been illegally detained at the Bronx Zoo, where she has lived for more than 40 years, The New York Times reports.

The Supreme Court has refused permission to appeal in a challenge to the Rwanda asylum plan. The appellant originally applied to the High Court for permission to bring an application for judicial review of Home Secretary Priti Patel's decision that certain people who have made claims for asylum in t

Our regular round-up of deals involving Irish law firms. Submit your deals to newsdesk@irishlegal.com. McCann FitzGerald LLP has advised Irish company Jones Engineering on its sale to Cathexis, reported to be for a sum of more than €1 billion.