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The number of sole practitioners in England and Wales has declined by nearly a half in the past decade, according to new analysis of Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) data. There were 3,640 sole practitioners in July 2011, making up a third of all solicitors, but the figure has fallen by 47 per

A long-awaited review of prison healthcare has been delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The health needs assessment was due to be completed in June 2021 but is still being finalised, The Medical Independent reports.

Northern Ireland's former justice minister Claire Sugden has criticised the pace of reforms to the civil and family justice systems, with few of the recommendations of a judge-led review to be implemented by the end of the Assembly mandate. Ms Sugden served as justice minister after the 2016 electio

Niall Pelly, partner and head of GQ|Littler in Dublin, considers what the remote working landscape will look like after the Covid-19 pandemic. The Irish government has recently announced that it plans to provide employees with the right to request remote working. As many employers turn their mind to

Some 20 protestors descended on Edinburgh Castle last night, claiming to have seized it under Magna Carta. The group cited article 61 of the document, which has nothing to do with Scotland, and streamed the protest on Facebook Live. In a 13-minute video, a woman states that the castle “belongs to

House prices in Northern Ireland have reached their highest level since autumn 2008, with an average price of £195,242 in the second quarter of 2021. The average price was up by more than nine per cent in comparison to the second quarter of 2020, according to the latest Ulster University House Pric

Cleaver Fulton Rankin has been shortlisted in the CIPD Northern Ireland HR Awards 2021 for excellence in people management practice in SMEs. The award recognises organisations that are forging ahead in terms of growth, where people management is embedded within the organisation, and wher people mana

International law firm DAC Beachcroft, with offices in Dublin and Belfast, has reported an increase in profits by nearly a fifth to reach £67 million. The firm today announced its provisional, unaudited results for the year ending 30 April 2021, with turnover up by seven per cent to £275 million.

Ministers have approved the publication of legislation to transition the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) into an independent statutory agency with additional resources to investigate and prosecute white collar crime. The Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2021 wi

A new pilot programme will see the PSNI share information with schools where there have been instances of domestic abuse involving a child. Under the pilot, officers will be allowed to pass on relevant information to the school the child attends so that the right support can be put in place.

Hong Kong's leader has told lawyers to stay out of politics as the pro-Beijing regime seeks to gain greater control over the legal system. Carrie Lam, chief executive of the territory, said the Law Society of Hong Kong, which represents 12,000 solicitors, risks “severing” relations with her admi

The Polish government has agreed to dissolve a controversial disciplinary chamber for judges in a climb-down following a European court ruling. The European Commission initiated infringement proceedings in April 2020 in regards to the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court on the basis that it th

Fines issued to Black Lives Matter protesters in Belfast and Derry last summer should be refunded and any outstanding warrants cancelled, the PSNI has told the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS). Deputy chief constable Mark Hamilton said in a letter to health minister Robin Swann

A support service for victims of sexual violence in Northern Ireland will close at the end of the month in advance of a new state-led service being launched. Victim Support NI announced "with regret" that its independent sexual violence advocate (ISVA) service would close on 31 August 2021.

A police officer who enjoys watching esports while off duty made an unexpected arrest after recognising a top gamer as a wanted criminal. The officer was spending his downtime playing popular multiplayer game League of Legends (LoL) in an internet café with friends in his city of Chongqing in south