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A state-approved dating app has been released in Iran to stem the tide of divorces. Hamdan, which means "companion" in Persian, claims to find matches "only for bachelors seeking permanent marriage" and just one wife.

The High Court has granted an interlocutory injunction against Ms Gemma O’Doherty for defamatory comments that she made about Beaumont Hospital and its director of nursing. The court applied section 33 of the Defamation Act 2009 and held that Ms O’Doherty had no defence that was reasonab

Strategic housing developments (SHDs) are set to be scrapped and replaced following a series of judicial review challenges in a shake-up of planning law for large-scale residential developments (LSRDs). A new bill, which the government hopes to enact in the autumn, will introduce alternative streaml

The Companies (Rescue Process for Small and Micro Companies) Bill 2021 has passed through all the legislative stages in the Oireachtas and will now be sent to the president for signature. The bill will amend the Companies Act 2014 to provide a new dedicated rescue process for small and micro-co

The government has approved the heads of a bill to make over 120 amendments to the Mental Health Act 2001, including strengthening provisions for consent to treatment. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said: "The heads of bill introduce guiding principles for adults and children into the Act, to enha

The government has announced plans to amend the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 following an extensive review of the operation of Ireland's lobbying regime. Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Michael McGrath said: "The public want to be reassured that government policy is formulated in

Matthew Howse, partner at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, considers whether resort to litigation will become more common again as we move into the post-Covid world. Back in March 2020, the pandemic brought a halt to all but the most urgent legal proceedings in the Northern Irish courts. Courts had

The former British soldier charged with the murder of James Wray and William McKinney, and the attempted murders of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick O’Donnell, has been named in Westminster.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has published an equality review of Ireland's local authorities, focused on their provision of Traveller-specific accommodation. The accounts have been published alongside the Commission's annual report, and includes specific recommendations for action

The Department of Justice is to lead a new government strategy to tackle domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence following the publication of an audit on the matter today. The independent audit found that responsibility for domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is segmented across

Magic circle law firm Slaughter and May has launched three pilot schemes in recent months for its associates. Under the 'switch on/off' plan, lawyers are allowed to cut their hours over the course of a year by taking blocks of leave that have been agreed in advance, which would result in lower pay.

Russia failed to justify the lack of any opportunity for same-sex couples to have their relationship formally acknowledged, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has found. The court unanimously held that there had been a violation of Article 8 – right to respect for privat

Google has been fined €500 million in France after it failed to comply with an order to come to a fair deal with publishers over using their news content on its platform. The firm ignored a 2020 decision to negotiate in good faith over the display of snippets of articles on Google News, accordi

A rooster who prevailed in a legal battle for the right to crow has become the subject of an opera celebrating rural life. Le Coq Maurice opened at a farm theatre in France on Sunday and was inspired by the tale of a noisy bird and his irritated neighbour on the Atlantic coast island of Oléro

The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal to prevent the prosecution of an 88-year-old man for sexual offences which occurred between 29 and 53 years ago. The man had previously failed to restrain the prosecution in the High Court. However, the Court of Appeal determined that the cumulative factors