News

A prisoner in HMP Maghaberry has launched a judicial review of the ban on sexual contact between inmates and the restriction on access to condoms in the prison. The anonymous inmate's challenge against the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) is believed to be the first of its kind and allege

London's legal pay war continues to escalate with American law firms giving newly qualified solicitors in the City in excess of £153,000. Houston-based Vinson & Elkins announced starting pay of £153,400 last month – an increase of four per cent in a year. The firm has now taken

New legislation to be introduced in England and Wales will give homeowners twice as long to claim compensation for dangerous cladding or poor workmanship in light of the Grenfell tragedy. The Building Safety Bill, to be published today, will create a clear pathway for how residential buildings shoul

Dogs who flunked out of police academy because they were too timid, unfit or reluctant to bite people have been put up for auction. A police academy in Liaoning, a north-eastern province of China, will put 54 dogs up for sale later this week, CNN reports.

The Court of Appeal has allowed an application by a man convicted of manslaughter for an extension of time to appeal his sentence. However, the court refused the man’s application to extend time to appeal his conviction. Delivering judgment in the case, Mr Justice George Birmingham (President)

LK Shields Solicitors LLP has announced the appointment of Jill Callanan as its new head of litigation and dispute resolution. Ms Callanan will replace outgoing head of department Michael Kavanagh to lead a team of specialists in litigation and dispute resolution across a wide variety of practice ar

Dame Brenda King's appointment as Attorney General for Northern Ireland has been extended for a year. She was appointed to the role on an "interim basis" last July, succeeding John Larkin QC after 10 years in the post.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is facing a judicial review after today's collapse of the trials of two former British soldiers facing Troubles-era murder charges. The PPS announced today that it would discontinue the prosecutions of the former British soldiers known only as "Soldier F" and "So

New legislation to clamp down on bogus self-employment "could actually create more problems than it solves", Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys has claimed. The minister was pressed in the Dáil yesterday on whether she would commit to new legislation in the next six months, as recom

Lawyers and legal academics have been invited to complete a survey seeking to identify the barriers to women achieving judicial appointment in Ireland. Caoimhe Kiernan, a PhD researcher at TU Dublin, is carrying out research that aims to highlight the importance of supporting women and individuals f

People who have submitted complaints to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) have been invited to share their experience for the first time in a study ahead of the watchdog's restructuring. Dr Vicky Conway, one of Ireland's leading researchers on policing, has invited people

The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has welcomed a District Court judgment over the unlawful use of the title "architect". William 'Bill' Doran, who pleaded guilty to two separate charges, yesterday received fines totalling €6,000 in a case brought by the RIAI.

Concerns have been raised as Ireland remains on a US State Department watchlist due to its inadequate response to tackling human trafficking. The State Department’s 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report confirms that Ireland is to remain for the second year running on its "watchlist" due to the S

Former Crown Court judge Peter Herbert has settled a claim with the Ministry of Justice after alleged race discrimination. Mr Herbert, whose case was due to be heard next week at an Employment Tribunal in Leeds, had sued for discrimination, victimisation, and harassment after he was disciplined for

Netflix has released a three-part series on the infamous Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder that took place in Co Cork in 1996. The new limited series was released this week and is already in the 'UK top ten most watched' category on the streaming platform.