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Courts and tribunals in Northern Ireland will continue to operate during the second two-week "circuit breaker" lockdown, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. In a statement issued before the start of increased restrictions tomorrow, Mrs Long reiterated that courts and tribunals staff, the judiciary

Over 70 signatories, representing in excess of 2,000 legal professionals, have come together to pledge free legal services for those who need it most. The "Pro Bono Pledge Ireland", a new initiative which asks the legal profession to commit to promoting access to justice by providing free legal assi

The new CEO of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) has said she is working with government ministers to boost the Board's powers and help to bring down insurance costs. Rosalind Carroll, who took over the role in March, told the Irish Independent that she is "passionate about getting thing

The last man sentenced to death in Northern Ireland has won a High Court battle over his right to access coroners' inquest files held in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). Applicant William Holden was given the death penalty following his conviction in 1973 of the murder of Privat

An Irish man leading the World Health Organisation's (WHO) global response to the Covid-19 pandemic is to receive The Bar of Ireland's annual human rights award. Dr Michael J Ryan, WHO executive director, has been nominated for the award in recognition of his tireless work and leadership in the fiel

A ban on children's outdoor sport in Northern Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic is a "clear violation" of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a Magherafelt lawyer has said. Stephen Atherton, director at John J McNally & Co Solicitors, has announced his intention to bring a judicial

The PSNI has made "considerable progress" in improving how business crime is dealt with in Northern Ireland, the criminal justice watchdog has found. Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI) has published a follow-up review which found that fix of six recommendations made in 2017 had bee

In the case of Bin Ali Jaber v Germany, the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, Germany, has ruled that the diplomatic efforts of the German government with regard to US drone missions in accordance with international law are sufficient. In March 2019, the Higher Administrative Court of Mü

A hair salon that invoked the authority of Magna Carta faces a fine of £27,000 for repeatedly breaching the lockdown rules. Sinead Quinn, owner of Quinn Blakey Hairdressers in Oakenshaw, Bradford, was working when Kirklees Council issued a fine for £4,000 and thereafter two more for &pou

A major academic project exploring how any potential future referendum or referendums on the constitutional status of Northern Ireland would best be designed and conducted will discuss its interim findings at a webinar next week. The working group on unification referendums, chaired by Dr Alan Renwi

The Court of Appeal has allowed the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) appeal of the order of Mr Justice Michael White qua the Central Criminal Court placing a prohibition on naming a person who has been convicted and sentenced following a trial for a number of offences of rape and sexual

Ministers have approved plans to criminalise the sharing of intimate images without consent, regardless of the motivation for doing so. The government will bring amendments to the Harassment, Harmful Communication and Related Offences Bill following reports that intimate images of thousands of Irish

Solicitors have welcomed the announcement of an inquiry into the historical licensing and use of the anti-epileptic drug sodium valproate (Epilim) in Ireland. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced the inquiry yesterday following a meeting with representatives from Epilepsy Ireland and the Organ

Pressure is mounting on the UK government to order a public inquiry into the 1989 murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane. The UK Supreme Court ruled in February 2019 that the state has failed to deliver an Article 2 compliant investigation into the death of Mr Finucane, who was shot and killed by

The UK government has launched a public consultation on the continued use of non-jury trials in Northern Ireland until 2023. Under the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007, the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland can decide when a trial should take place without a jury.