News

The High Court has denied an application for an order pursuant to Ord 31 r 1 RSC granting leave to deliver interrogatories in a swine flu vaccine personal injuries case. Background

A sharp decline in the use of suspended sentences in Ireland may be down to sentencing courts failing to correctly apply two key principles, the Law Reform Commission has suggested. The law reform body's new report on suspended sentences recommends that the newly-established Sentencing Guidelines an

Plans to introduce new Garda powers to close bars and restaurants which breach COVID-19 health regulations have been unveiled by ministers. The Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020 will provide for three types of closure orders that may be issued to a bar or restaurant in circu

The Bar Council of Ireland has pushed back at claims from the head of the Courts Service that some practitioners have "made a fortune" during the COVID-19 crisis. In an interview published by The Irish Times last Thursday, Angela Denning, CEO of the Courts Service, suggested that while some lawyers

An Garda Síochána's routine use of spit hoods during the COVID-19 pandemic is incompatible with human rights law on torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, civil liberties campaigners have said. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) called

Professor Ursula Kilkelly, from University College Cork, considers the impact of remote hearings on the legal rights of children under Irish and international law. COVID-19's public health restrictions have necessitated changes in practice across the legal system. Principal among these is the increa

Tom O'Malley SC considers golfgate and calls for any backlash or punishment of public officeholders in attendance to be rational and proportionate. The backstory to what has become known as Golfgate is now well-known. The Oireachtas Golf Society held a two-day outing on 18 and 19 August at Ballyconn

Callan Tansey has announced it will continue to sponsor Ballina Town Football Club's Superleague team for their 2020 season. Callen Tansey acknowledged the important role local clubs have at the heart of communities across Ireland, and said it is committed to recognising and supporting the efforts o

Around 54 million people are being referred to prosecutors for failing to vote in recent elections in Egypt. Voting is mandatory in the north African country but only 14 per cent of voters turned out for Senate elections earlier in August.

The Home Office has been roundly condemned by lawyers across the UK for attacking the integrity of the legal profession and undermining the rule of law after releasing a video accusing "activist lawyers" of delaying deportations. The video, which was posted on the Home Office's Twitter page but late

A new Law Reform Commission report on suspended sentences is due to be published on Monday, the law reform body has said. The report comes three years after the commission invited submissions on an issues paper concerning both the principles that apply to imposing suspended sentences and the procedu

Prisons in Northern Ireland will resume offender management programmes on a phased basis under a further easing of prison restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prisons will also work with their education partners to resume some class-based learning under the latest easing, which foll

Human rights campaigners have called on the Northern Ireland Executive to provide additional funding and support to victims of domestic violence, as new figures reveal over 32,000 domestic abuse incidents in the last 12 months. A new report published by the PSNI revealed that there were 32,127 domes

A practising barrister has written a new authoritative guide to the responsibilities of professional witnesses in court cases. The Reliable Expert Witness, written by barrister Mark Tottenham and published by Clarus Press, is aimed at professionals from many disciplines, businesses and industries wh

Keavy Ryan, partner at A&L Goodbody, reflects on the future for solicitors qualifying in 2020. Take a moment to consider the class of 2020. After years of hard work from secondary school right through to the final year of third level, they will graduate into a world of uncertainty. Over the