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The UK's refusal to allow the inhabitants of the Chagos Islands to return to their homeland is a crime against humanity, an eminent international lawyer has said. Speaking in Edinburgh, Philippe Sands QC criticised Britain's failure to abide by a judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Controversial plans to allow judges in Poland to be sacked have been dealt a major set-back after they were rejected by the upper house of the country's parliament. The governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which won a second successive majority in last year's elections, is pressing on w

A bank robber who disguised himself with a pillow case had to remove it mid-robbery when he realised he couldn't see through it. Matthew Davies, 47, forgot to make eye holes in the pillow case he put over his head while robbing a bank in the Scottish town of Dunfermline last year.

Two of eight people who pleaded guilty to offences linked to the death of a 20-year-old man in 2015 have been given custodial sentences in Belfast Crown Court. Two of the defendants pleaded guilty to manslaughter, for which they received sentences of nine years and five years’ imprisonment. Si

People will be allowed to plead guilty to certain offences online under plans being considered in a bid to improve the efficiency of the courts, according to reports. According to the Irish Independent, the proposals are included in the Courts Service of Ireland's 10-year strategy, which has been ap

A new law clarifying the rights of certain ground rent tenants to acquire the freehold title of their properties has come into effect. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan yesterday signed the commencement order to bring the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (Amendment) Act 2019 into operation.

An asylum seeker suffered indirect discrimination when he was refused a learner driver license, the Workplace Relations Commission has ruled. An adjudicator ordered €2,500 in compensation to be paid to the man, who was legally represented by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC

Lawyer and politician John Finucane yesterday addressed lawyers in New York on the restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland and the challenges posed by Brexit.

Judges will be kept out of politics under plans to reform judicial review, the Lord Chancellor has said. Robert Buckland QC MP said the judiciary needed protection after a series of cases saw political decision-making “contracted out” to judges whose independence ought to be preserved.

Staff at HMP Maghaberry discussed their work with Princess Anne yesterday as the royal visited the prison in her role as patron of the Butler Trust. The Butler Trust is a national organisation which promotes and recognises excellence within correctional settings throughout the UK including in prison

Millicent Grant has become the first chartered legal executive to be appointed an Honorary Queen’s Counsel. A Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) board member and a former CILEx president had her appointment approved by Her Majesty The Queen yesterday, along with nine other Honorar

Edward “Ned” Kelly was a famous Irish-Australian bushranger and outlaw who was executed in November 1880. Part I, Part II and Part III of this series were published last year. As the pressure to capture Ned Kelly and his associates heightened, police began closely monitoring the homes of

Japan is planning new legislation to protect its prized wagyu beef from being reared in neighbouring China. Farmers are worried that smugglers are ramping up efforts to bring wagyu cattle to China in defiance of a two-decade export ban.

The registration of a judgment against a debtor’s interest in lands did not affect the interest of his father who was a joint tenant, the High Court has ruled. After judgment against the debtor was registered, the father and son severed their joint tenancy and transferred to the lands to thems

Cork-based O'Flynn Exhams (OFX) Solicitors has announced the election of Shane Crossan as the firm's new managing partner, succeeding Richard Neville. Mr Neville, who served as managing partner for more than a decade, will continue as a partner, heading up the firm's corporate department.