News

The centuries-old distinction between "criminal contempt" and "civil contempt" will be scrapped in England under proposals set out by the Law Commission of England and Wales. 'Contempt of court' refers to a wide variety of conduct that may impede or interfere with the administration of justice, for

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has dropped charges against an Irish woman who was facing trial for attempted suicide and alcohol consumption. Tori Towey, 28, will be allowed to return to Ireland after UAE officials confirmed that a travel ban which had been imposed on her has now been lifted.

Patrick Leonard SC has been appointed as a vice-chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Commission on Arbitration and ADR steering committee. Mr Leonard is one of 12 vice-chairs appointed from different jurisdictions in recognition of their status as leading professionals in their respe

Greek authorities have begun issuing €350,000 fines in a major crackdown on unlicensed tourist beaches. Tourist companies have been accused of effectively taking over entire public beaches by installing and renting out deckchairs and parasols at an expensive rate.

Patents of precedence have been granted to 27 barristers and seven solicitors, allowing them to use the title of senior counsel. Just over a third (35 per cent) of the new senior counsel are women, a slight increase on last year but well short of 2022, when more women than men were granted the title

Seán Guerin SC has been elected as the next chairperson of the Bar Council, succeeding Sara Phelan SC in the role from September 2024. A qualified barrister since 1997 and senior counsel since 2013, Mr Guerin practises mainly in public law, including criminal, regulatory and administrative la

Doubt has been cast on the convictions of English nurse Lucy Letby for the murder of babies in her care on the basis the expert opinions on which the jury relied do "not stand up to scrutiny". An article, which The Guardian has now published in the wake of Letby's retrial for the murder of Baby K, s

A court in south-west Spain has sentenced 15 schoolboys to a year's probation after they created and spread AI-generated images of their female peers. Police began investigating the case last year after parents in the Extremaduran town of Almendralejo reported fake and inappropriate images of their

Criminal barristers gathered outside courthouses across the State yesterday as they withdrew services to pile pressure on the government over fee restoration. Irish Legal News yesterday reported from the largest gathering at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin.

An Irish woman is being prosecuted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for attempting to take her own life as a result of alleged domestic abuse, according to her family. Human rights lawyer Radha Stirling, CEO of campaign group Detained in Dubai, is supporting the family of 28-year-old Tori Towey, wh

A prison in Brazil has swapped guard dogs for geese — which authorities say are cheaper and more effective. The São Pedro de Alcântara Penitentiary in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina recruited the nine "geese agents" late last year.

Mediation is becoming increasing widespread as a means of resolving complaints by consumers about legal practitioners, according to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA). The regulator's 2023 annual report shows that it received a total of 1,290 complaints and closed a total of 1,432 compla

A sales representative for construction industry supplier Haldane Fisher has settled a disability discrimination case for £20,000 with support from the Equality Commissioner for Northern Ireland. The case brought by Mark Graham, who worked for the business for 28 years, was settled through med

Legal and professional services group Gateley is sponsoring a youth camp intended to give 50 disadvantaged young people in Northern Ireland a summer to remember. Gateley's Belfast office is backing Camp Asire, now in its seventh year, which is run by Portadown-based charity Aspire NI.

DWF has rolled out an AI-powered productivity tool in its Belfast office and plans to make it available to all of its global offices. The firm has embraced Copilot for Microsoft 365, which can summarise emails, generate action points and draft emails, project plans and presentations, following a pil