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The UK government has threatened to go to the Supreme Court to overturn two pieces of Scottish legislation which were unanimously backed by MSPs. MSPs last week voted unanimously for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill to become law, making Scotla

Proposals to introduce a statutory duty of candour in the healthcare system will go out to consultation next month. Health Minister Robin Swann yesterday told MLAs that a 16-week public consultation would open on Monday 12 April 2021.

The Scottish government has lost a high-profile court challenge against its Covid-19 regulations closing all churches for congregational worship and private prayer. Representatives of several churches argued before the Court of Session in Edinburgh that the regulations represented disproportionate i

MPs in New Zealand have backed a private member's bill to extend paid bereavement leave to mothers and their partners following a miscarriage or stillbirth. Ginny Andersen, a backbencher from the governing Labour party, said her bill would make New Zealand "only the second country in the world, as f

Funeral pyres could make an unexpected return under legislation being considered in the US state of Maine. A bill before the state legislature would allow a non-profit with at least 20 acres of space to carry out open-air cremations.

The Supreme Court has ordered Quinn Insurance Limited to provide security for costs to PricewaterhouseCoopers, whose legal bill stands at €30 million in the long-running dispute. In reaching this decision, the court reiterated the proper approach to security for costs (SFC) applications and out

Mary Keane has become the first woman to serve as director general of the Law Society of Ireland in its 191-year history. Ms Keane takes the reins from Ken Murphy, who retired on Monday after more than 26 years in the role.

Ministers have agreed to establish an advisory committee to identify possible candidates to succeed Mr Justice Frank Clarke as Chief Justice following his retirement in October. Justice Minister Helen McEntee yesterday secured cabinet approval for the establishment of a non-statutory advisory commit

Legislation banning the likes of teachers and social workers from having sex with under-18s in their care is set to be extended to cover sports coaches and faith leaders. Justice Minister Naomi Long yesterday announced plans to bring an amendment to the Justice (Miscellaneous) Provisions Bill later

Children born in Ireland to parents who are not Irish citizens will be able to gain Irish citizenship sooner under new government plans. The government will include the necessary legislative changes in a forthcoming bill following discussions between Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Labour Senator

Asylum seekers who enter the UK illegally will find it harder to stay under significant new plans announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel. Ms Patel will later set out her plans for the "biggest overhaul of the UK's asylum system in decades", which has already come under sharp criticism from human ri

Technical legislation is set to be brought forward to facilitate the "full rollout" of An Garda Síochána's new operating model. Ministers today published the general scheme of the Criminal Justice (Garda Síochána Operating Model) Bill, which will eliminate legislative imp

A barrister whose application to become Queen's Counsel was opposed by two judges faced apparent bias in the appointments process, an investigation has concluded. Marc Beaumont unsuccessfully applied to the Queen's Counsel appointments panel in 2016 and again in 2018.

Trade unionists who were imprisoned for their role in the 1972 builders' strike have been exonerated by the Court of Appeal in London nearly half a century later. The "Shrewsbury 24" were arrested five months after the strike and charged with over 200 offences including unlawful assembly, intimidati

A purported haul of MDMA worth over €1 million was actually strawberry-flavoured sweets, police have admitted. Paris police boasted on Twitter of their massive bust at an alleged "narcotics packaging workshop feeding underground parties".