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Legislation to reduce the minimum period that couples seeking a divorce are required to live apart has passed all stages in the Oireachtas. The Family Law Bill 2019 was introduced following the May referendum in which the Government’s proposal to amend Articles 41.3.2 and 41.3.3 of the Constit

Ministers have launched a public consultation on proposed changes to Ireland's hate speech laws. The consultation, which will run until 13 December 2019, has been described as the "first phase" of a wider update of criminal law on hate speech and hate crime.

The human rights watchdogs north and south of the border have met to review human rights issues on the island of Ireland in light of recent Brexit proceedings. Representatives of the joint committee of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission me

A senior legal academic has called on Queen's University Belfast to make a "full public apology" over its historical involvement in electrical aversion therapy for gay men. Professor Phil Scraton, emeritus professor in QUB School of Law, said the university's response to revelations over its involve

Major reform is required to the justice system and devolution framework in Wales, a major review led by the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, has concluded. The current split of responsibilities between Westminster and Cardiff has "created pointless complexity,

A new £54 million accommodation block at Maghaberry Prison has been officially opened. Davis House is the largest capital build undertaken by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) in over 30 years and the largest within the Department of Justice since its establishment in 2010.

Property experts examined how technology, AI and evolving workplace practice are shaping the future of real estate at a recent Maples Group seminar. Partner Diarmuid Mawe, who heads the firm's property practice, welcomed real estate professionals to the firm's annual commercial property seminar at N

The family of a British woman who was killed in Syria while fighting against ISIS alongside Kurdish militants has launched a legal bid to have her body returned to the UK. The body of Anna Campbell is in territory now controlled by Turkey and Turkish-backed fighters, and human rights firm McCue &

A court in Germany has ruled that a major Bundesliga club cannot host matches at their new €80 million stadium at night or between 1pm and 3pm on Sundays. Residents near the new SC Freiburg stadium have raised concerns about anticipated noise from the new 34,700-capacity stadium, currently unde

A restaurant has been fined nearly £50,000 for giving menus without prices to women dining with men. The upmarket eatery said its practice allows women to "enjoy a romantic evening" with a male chaperone without having to worry about its impact on his wallet.

A man who complained of “widespread establishment bias” against him has lost an appeal against the refusal to grant him leave to bring judicial review proceedings against the Director of Public Prosecutions and a District Court judge. Upholding the High Court’s decision, Mr Justice

McCann FitzGerald has announced the appointment of Catherine Deane as its inaugural chair with effect from November 2019. Ms Deane, a partner in the firm since 1992, is an aviation finance expert with over 25 years' experience advising on and acting for the world's largest aircraft lessors and finan

Tully Rinckey Ireland has announced the appointment of Alice Heron as an associate in the firm's employment law team. Prior to joining the firm, Ms Heron trained in a large international law firm, qualifying in 2018 and subsequently working as a solicitor in the employment law department of a promin

Global law firm Baker McKenzie has appointed the first two trainee solicitors from its Belfast Centre as associates in London. Luke Hackett and Lesley-Anne Wilson applied for a training contract through the Belfast office when the trainee programme was created in 2016.

The prosecution of a woman who bought abortion pills for her teenage daughter has been formally dropped following the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland yesterday. This morning, Belfast Crown Court formally discharged the mother from prosecution on two charges of unlawfully procuring