News

OSM Partners LLP has announced four new appointments across two of its departments, comprising a new senior associate, two new associates and a new solicitor. Deirdre Murphy has been appointed as a senior associate in the firm's litigation department, joining OSM after nearly a decade with one of Ir

Richard Greene QC has been appointed as a County Court judge in Northern Ireland. Judge Greene was sworn into office before the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, on Monday.

The High Court in Belfast has rejected two high-profile legal challenges to the Northern Ireland Protocol. Mr Justice Adrian Colton today dismissed both applications for judicial review, the first brought by unionist politicians including Jim Allister and the second brought by loyalist pastor Cliffo

The Covid-19 pandemic and the subsiding of the "Brexit effect" led to a slowing in the number of solicitors and barristers admitted to practise last year, according to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA). The latest figures from the legal watchdog show that 906 solicitors and 167 barriste

UK law firm TLT, which employs over 100 people at its Belfast office, has announced plans to introduce a new flexible working policy in keeping with the changes in working practices that have occurred over the past year. The firm’s approach includes three commitments: to provide more choice so

The government has said it is supportive in principle of a private member's bill to expand the spent convictions regime, in particular by removing a rule whereby only one conviction outside of minor driving and public order offences can become spent. The Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bil

The UK government has set out plans for a new post-Brexit subsidy control system that will allow public authorities – including the devolved administrations – to provide direct support to businesses in line with strategic goals. The Subsidy Control Bill, introduced to Westminster today,

Legislation delivering the most comprehensive changes to liquor licensing laws in Northern Ireland since 1996 has been approved by MLAs. The Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill, which includes a number of reforms including greater flexibility for venues over opening times, was unani

Rosemary Connolly, principal solicitor at Rosemary Connolly Solicitors, Employment and Equality Lawyers, examines a significant decision in a sex discrimination claim in England. In an important decision concerning sex discrimination and flexible working, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in Engl

There is an urgent need for debt law and credit law reform in light of the impact of Covid-19 on levels of household debt in Ireland, legal rights group FLAC has said. FLAC today published the first in a series of four papers, to be published over the course of the summer, which will look at how cas

A draft law has been approved by the Spanish government that would let children as young as 14 change their legal gender with no medical diagnosis. The bill has been prepared by the country's equality ministry, led by the left-wing Podemos party, and would permit people 16 and over to change their n

A man has been arrested after jumping out of a passenger jet during take-off, injuring himself in the process. The man, who has not been named, apparently decided to make a late exit from the flight after an on-board altercation.

The Supreme Court has ordered Quinn Insurance Limited to provide €5 million in “interim security” for PricewaterhouseCoopers in order to avoid a stay on its proceedings. The ruling arose from a previous Supreme Court decision that QIL has to provide security for costs to PwC. It was

Employment and family law issues dominated calls to legal rights group FLAC's information line last year as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in Ireland. Chief Justice Frank Clarke paid tribute to FLAC this morning as he launched its 2020 annual report at a virtual event, saying "never was the work of

Solicitors have reported a surge in house completions in Northern Ireland as home-buyers take advantage of the stamp duty holiday, which will come to an end in September. Janet Williamson, director of commercial and property at O'Reilly Stewart Solicitors, said levels of completions "are at a point