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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

A new report seeks to address the erosion of public trust in the justice system's response to deaths that give rise to public concern. When a catastrophic event or systemic failure results in death or injury, the justice system must provide a framework to understand what happened and to prevent recu

The UK government has announced that it will be introducing a new "world-leading" law to clean up the UK's supply chains and protect rainforests from illegal deforestation. The proposed legislation would prohibit larger UK businesses from using products grown on land that was deforested illegally.

The Saudi Human Rights Commission has announced that, following a royal decree, the sentences of all people convicted of childhood crimes will be reviewed. According to a new Royal Order, all authorities must suspend the application of the death penalty for those convicted while they were minors, pe

A famous painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals, valued at over £13 million, has been stolen for the third time in three decades. Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer was stolen from a museum in Leerdam, near Utrecht in the Netherlands, earlier this week, The Guardian reports.