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The UK could be following Hungary and Poland in "backsliding" on the rule of law, an academic expert on European legal issues has warned. Professor Laurent Pech, who has been studying rule of law issues since beginning his career as a junior lawyer in war-torn Bosnia two decades ago, said it is "dif

A couple will have to pay for disposing of their son's collection of pornography magazines, a court has said. David Werking, 42, sued his parents, Beth and Paul Werking, after his "trove of pornography and an array of sex toys" were thrown out, MLive reports.

The Supreme Court has awarded costs and granted a declaration to a woman who claimed that her constitutional and ECHR rights were breached when the clinical director of the Central Mental Hospital declined to facilitate variations to the conditions of her release. Judges ruled the woman is entitled

Arthur Cox has been authorised to operate as a limited liability partnership, becoming the largest law firm in Ireland to take advantage of new rules introduced just over a year ago. The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) began accepting applications for authorisation as an LLP last November

Legislation introducing a statutory aggravation model for hate crime will be brought to the Cabinet by Easter next year, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said. The minister announced her legislative plans today as she published the findings of the public consultation on hate speech and hate crime,

Landmark domestic abuse legislation has moved forward with amended provisions on legal aid after the bill was delayed by a major row over "repercussive financial impacts". MLAs last month approved an amendment brought by Rachel Woods, Green MLA for North Down, in the face of opposition from Justice

Prominent Scottish advocate Aidan O'Neill QC has been called to The Bar of Ireland. Mr O'Neill, who is also qualified in England and Wales, is a leading constitutional lawyer in the UK. He has been involved in high-profile Brexit litigation, including the case which led the UK Supreme Court to rule

Matheson chairman and partner Tim Scanlon has passed away at the age of 55 following a brief illness. Mr Scanlon joined the firm as a partner in 2000, going on to lead the corporate department and playing a key role in the establishment of the firm's financial institutions group. He was appointed ch

Gardaí will now issue cautions to adults caught with small amounts of cannabis and cannabis resin in a significant expansion of the adult cautioning scheme introduced nearly 15 years ago. The scheme provides "an alternative to the prosecution of certain persons against whom there is evidence

MI6 may have unilaterally assumed the power to authorise agents to commit crimes in the UK, a court has heard. Reprieve, the Pat Finucane Centre, Privacy International, and the Committee on the Administration of Justice have been challenging a secret policy under which MI5 authorises covert agents,

Air pollution contributed to the death of a nine-year-old girl with asthma, a coroner has ruled in a first for an inquest anywhere in the UK. South London coroner Philip Barlow said the death of Ella Kissi-Debrah in February 2013 was caused by acute respiratory failure, severe asthma and air polluti

The Attorney General for England and Wales has been left embarrassed by a submission in a case in which she appealed against the sentences of three offenders found guilty of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper. PC Harper was dragged for more than a mile behind a car driven by Henry Long. He was jai

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating whether airlines have breached consumers’ legal rights by failing to offer cash refunds for flights they could not lawfully take. The move comes as part of ongoing work by the CMA in relation to holiday refunds during the corona

A mayor has mocked a fine imposed on authorities for appointing too many women. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was told she had broken the law by naming too many women to various posts.

The High Court had ruled that a German man suffering from schizophrenia who is detained in Ireland is entitled to be considered for transfer to a secure hospital in Germany. Background