News

The High Court has ruled that the Seanad can only meet after all 60 members have been elected or nominated. The Seanad is comprised of 49 elected members and eleven members have been nominated by a new Taoiseach. The new president of the High Court, Ms Justice Mary Irvine, sat with Ms Justice Niamh

The first tranche of legacy inquests due to be heard as part of a five-year plan may begin to be heard in October in unprecedented "hybrid" hearings following delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The presiding coroner for Northern Ireland, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan, who will soon be succeeded in

Officials have begun a scoping exercise ahead of a review of legislation underpinning the prosecution of terrorism and organised crime offences in the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Justice Minister Helen McEntee yesterday told Senators that she is "fully committed to this review", which was one o

Proposals to double the amount of money that may be released to the beneficiary of a deceased person without probate from £10,000 to £20,000 have gone out to consultation. The Department of Finance said it believes that raising the sum would result in a quicker and more efficient process

UK law firm TLT, which employs around 100 people in Belfast, has agreed an alliance with Dutch firm Holla. TLT and Holla have a long history working together to support clients on a range of matters including complex disputes, employment, IP and corporate finance/M&A.

Northern Ireland's Attorney General John Larkin QC has stepped down with effect from today after 10 years in the post. Solicitor Brenda King will now serve as the chief legal adviser to the Northern Ireland Executive in an interim capacity.

Alan Desmond, law lecturer at the University of Leicester, considers whether African-Americans could come to Ireland as refugees. Recent months have seen a growing international focus on use of excessive force against African-Americans by police in the US. The killing of George Floyd, in particular,

DWF associate Alison Martin and trainee solicitor Thomas Bulfin examine a recent case involving an employer with a mandatory retirement age. In the recent Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) case of Joseph McGrath v Focus Ireland ADJ-00018823, the adjudication officer considered the issue of object

A watchdog has raised concerns about how the criminal justice system responds to child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Northern Ireland. In a report published today, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) highlighted a lack of clear leadership and strategic direction around tackling CSE.

A judge instructed lawyers in an attempted murder trial to "be nice" to one of the jurors – because she's his wife. Judge Thomas Ensor's wife was allowed to remain on the jury for the trial of Gary Val Richardson in Colorado, The Times reports.

Meath East TD Helen McEntee has been named as minister for justice in the new coalition government which formally took office over the weekend. Ms McEntee, a Fine Gael TD and previously the minister of state for European affairs in the Department of Foreign Affairs, succeeds her party colleague Char

The Law Society of Ireland has welcomed news of the ratification of the Programme for Government (PfG), and highlighted the inclusion of some key law and justice priorities. Launching the Society’s Programme for Government 2020 Synopsis, Law Society of Ireland President Michele O’Boyle s

Responsibility for the Direct Provision system, which will be abolished by the end of the Government's term, is to transfer to the Department of Children, The Irish Times reports. The Green Party's Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, will take respons

Brian Turley has been granted leave by Mr Justice McAlinden to challenge the current impasse over the ‘Troubles Pension’ scheme. Mr Turley was one of the 14 men who were chosen for 'special treatment' and were taken to a secret interrogation centre. The men were forced to wear hoods and

After a legal battle lasting nearly 12 years, the High Court will order the extradition of Liam Campbell, who was found civilly liable for the Omagh bombing, to Lithuania where he is wanted on international weapons trafficking charges. Mr Campbell, 58, was arrested in December 2016, on foot of the s