News

Rebecca Conlon, consultant in the healthcare team at Hayes solicitors, examines the recent High Court decision in Anne Marie Clifford v Heath Service Executive & Kerry General Hospital. In December 2019 the High Court dismissed the claim of a Plaintiff who alleged a delay of 36 minutes in transf

Pubs could lose their licenses if they flout non-binding Government recommendations to close for two weeks, a senior barrister has warned. Constance Cassidy SC, who specialises in liquor license applications, told The Irish Times that pubs could be punished through the licensing process even in the

Christopher Stanley, litigation consultant at KRW LAW LLP, examines the UK government's recent proposals for dealing with the past in Northern Ireland. On Wednesday 18th March 2020, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland published a statement on the British government’s proposal for Deali

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has said its professional conduct department will carry out off-site "desk-top reviews" instead of full inspections until further notice. The professional body's regulation department has completed a review of how it will "avoid imposing unnecessary burdens on mem

No new jury trials or physical hearings will commence in the Crown Court, the Lord Chief Justice has announced in a statement intended to "provide some clarity for the coming few days". Lord Burnett of Maldon said: "My unequivocal position is that no jury trials or other physical hearings can take p

All visits to Northern Ireland prisons have been suspended with effect from today in order to slow the spread of coronavirus. Ronnie Armour, director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS), said he "reluctantly" took the decision in consultation with Justice Minister Naomi Long.

The Royal Navy could be drafted in to help run prisons in England and Wales under contingency plans drawn up to deal with coronavirus. The unprecedented option will be available to prison bosses if too many prison officers contract COVID-19 and have to stay at home, The Times reports.

A museum's prize collection of papyrus fragments purporting to be pieces of the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls have been outed as forgeries. The 16 fragments held by the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. have been identified as fakes by Art Fraud Insights, National Geographic reports.

The Health Service Executive, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, and Medlab Pathology Limited have lost a Supreme Court appeal against a High Court judgment in favour of Ruth Morrissey arising from the misreading of her cervical smear tests. Mrs Morrissey was not told until 2018 that a review carried o

The Irish Government's emergency coronavirus bill cleared the Dáil last night without a vote. The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Bill 2020 will provide for "exceptional measures, being introduced in the interest of public health and su

Ireland's housing crisis is now "an acute health crisis" for vulnerable people in homeless accommodation or overcrowded housing, the Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC) has warned. Welcoming plans to ban evictions and freeze rents for three months in response to the coronavirus outbreak, managing solic

Anne Lyne, partner at Hayes solicitors, has been appointed as chair of the Employment Law Association of Ireland (ELAI). Ms Lyne, who succeeds outgoing chair Peter Murphy, joins secretary Julie Galbraith, treasurer Ciarán Ahern and deputy chair Linda Hynes on the committee of the association.

David Rodgers, tax solicitor at Ronan Daly Jermyn (RDJ), explores the support payment scheme announced this week in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Revenue Commissioners this week published details of a support payment scheme introduced as part of the response by the Government to COVID-19

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan of Richard Grogan & Associates explains the tax treatment of legal fees. The Revenue have issued a new update of part 07-01-28 on the tax treatment of legal fees. These were updated in January 2020.

Around 140,000 tablets intended for illegal distribution over the internet have been seized in Northern Ireland in part of a global operation co-ordinated by Interpol. The Northern Ireland operation, carried out by Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) partners, was part of the global "Operation Pangea