News

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has raised concerns over the impact of the Land Registry's closure during the coronavirus pandemic. The Department of Finance has said that the Registry's offices and phone lines will be closed until Wednesday 15 April, with the closure "kept under regular review"

Northern Ireland's inaugural Legal Services Oversight Commissioner (LSOC), whose powers have still not come into effect, has been reappointed for a second three-year term. Marian Cree was appointed to the role in April 2017, but secondary legislation to enact the LSOC's powers could not be introduce

Eoghan Ó hArgáin, associate and head of the EU, competition and regulated markets team at Eugene F. Collins, explores what measures may be taken under Irish law in response to reports of “price gouging”. Following the outbreak of COVID-19 there have been reports of hand san

Prominent Belfast solicitor Niall Murphy, who has spent almost two weeks in hospital with coronavirus, is showing signs of improvement, according to reports. Mr Murphy, 43, is a partner at KRW LAW LLP and is known for his work as a criminal defence lawyer and in representing victims of state violenc

People who are not normally resident in Ireland will not suffer negative tax repercussions if they are unable to leave due to the coronavirus pandemic, Revenue has said. "Where a departure from the State is prevented due to COVID-19, Revenue will consider this ‘force majeure’ for the pur

Trainee solicitors studying at the Law Society of Ireland have placed third in an international environmental moot court competition. William Fry trainees Peter Carvill and Karolina Rozhnova and Maples & Calder trainee Fiachra MacElhatton competed in a "virtual" final round of the 24th Annual St

The Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, Scotland’s professional body for advocates, the equivalent of barristers, has announced he will resign later this year following complaints. Gordon Jackson QC had referred himself to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) following the publication

A man was fined for flouting pandemic restrictions after trying to walk across the Pyrénées to buy cheap cigarettes and needing to be rescued. The unnamed man was trying to travel from a southern French city to buy cigarettes in Catalonia in northern Spain, where they are cheaper.

The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of a man who was found guilty of contempt.  Background

Specialist legal services firm Caytons has strengthened its Dublin office with the appointment of two additional solicitors. Mary Smith joins the firm as a senior associate while John Sparks joins as a solicitor, both from an international commercial law firm.

The Supreme Court has allowed an appeal by Barclays Bank and held that they were not vicariously liable for any sexual assaults committed by a doctor who performed medical examinations on their behalf. It had been previously held in the High Court in 2017 that the bank was vicariously liab

Spitting on a police officer during the coronavirus pandemic should be prosecuted as actual bodily harm or grievous bodily harm, a judge has said. Judge Mark Hamill, sitting in Belfast Magistrates' Court, said the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) should take a harsher attitude while police officers

Maynooth University has announced the promotion of Delia Ferri to professor in the Department of Law. Professor Ferri, previously a lecturer, was promoted "in recognition of her significant leadership role in securing prestigious research grants and in her contribution to teaching, engagement and re

The Northern Ireland Policing Board has said it will "oversee" the police use of emergency coronavirus legislation following the first meeting of the newly-constituted Board yesterday. The meeting took place via tele-conference call owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and elected Doug Garrett as chair an

Joanne Ryan, associate at William Fry, looks at whether remote swearing is permitted in Ireland in light of the coronavirus pandemic and what can be done to address the issue of swearing affidavits while adhering to social distancing.  Due to the Government's necessary social distancing restric