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Ministers are expected to approve a comprehensive review of Ireland's freedom of information legislation to report by the middle of next year. Public expenditure minister Michael McGrath, who spoke about his desire to review the law in June, will put a proposal to his cabinet colleagues today.

Strategic planning policy on oil and gas development in Northern Ireland is set to be reviewed to ensure it "remains appropriate in the context of the climate emergency". Infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon said the review will include consideration of unconventional hydrocarbon development, comm

Staff and friends of Madden & Finucane Solicitors are taking part in the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon to raise money for Action Cancer and the Stroke Association. Solicitor advocate Michael Madden, pictured with other members of the Belfast Solicitors' Association, said: "This year we ha

Belfast law firm McKees has welcomed three new trainee solicitors after a record number of applications for its annual trainee solicitor programme. Catriona Lilley, Sarah Bissett and Anselm Henry will gain experience in the firm's corporate and commercial, banking and financial services, real estate

The High Court has set aside a bankruptcy summons where the respondent claimed to have suffered a “bombardment of calls” to his work by a Middle Eastern bank. The court held that the debtor had raised an arguable defence that the bank had harassed him after threatening to imprison him fo

Witness actions in the High Court will be listed for a physical hearing as the "default position" from next week, the president of the High Court has announced. In a statement on the management of court proceedings in the Michaelmas term, Ms Justice Mary Irvine said remote hearings would only be use

Criminal defence lawyers in Scotland are taking part in a one-day boycott of custody hearings to protest them being scheduled on a court holiday. Scotland's most senior judge, the Lord President, Lord Carloway, announced last year that such courts would be convened on court holidays despite the defe

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has fined accountancy firm Grant Thornton UK more than £2.3 million for failings and a "serious lack of competence" in its audits of restaurant chain Patisserie Valerie. Patisserie Valerie collapsed in January 2019 as allegations of fraud encompassed the c

Newly qualified solicitors at Linklaters will receive salaries of just over £107,000 as the magic circle firm raises the stakes in the ongoing pay war amongst law firms in the City. The firm confirmed it will pay NQs £107,500 – a 7.5 per cent rise at the firm and £500 more th

A professional hair model has been awarded nearly £200,000 after a salon gave her a botched haircut. The model, who has not been named, was long-haired but left the salon with short hair and a flaky scalp blamed on a chemical treatment.

Abortion will be legalised in San Marino after more than three-quarters of voters in the small European republic backed the move in a referendum yesterday. At least 95 per cent of people living in San Marino, one of Europe's oldest sovereign states, profess the Catholic faith and around half of thos

Comyn Kelleher Tobin LLP has announced the appointment of Karen Tobin as a partner in its family law team. Ms Tobin has been a member of the firm for 25 years and qualified as a solicitor in 2011, representing clients in the area of child care and family law.

Two-thirds of HR professionals believe that some employees will simply refuse to return to the workplace following the Covid-19 pandemic, a new survey by business law firm Mason Hayes & Curran LLP suggests. Over 200 HR professionals from both the public and private sectors were surveyed at a rec

Temporary changes removing the requirement to hold a public event as part of pre-application community consultation on major planning applications in Northern Ireland will be extended for a further six months.

Intellectual property lawyer Brian McElligott has joined AI solutions company Altada Technology Solutions as chief intellectual property counsel. Previously a partner at business law firm Mason Hayes & Curran, Mr McElligott will lead Altada's regulatory compliance and due diligence of Altada's I