News

The Court of Appeal has said its "hands are tied" by a "legal lacuna" which prohibits the court from adjusting sentences imposed on minors for serious offences it deems too lenient. In a judgment delivered yesterday, Mr Justice John Edwards said there were "no legal means to resentence" a 20-year-ol

The UK Supreme Court will rule next Wednesday on whether a bakery discriminated against a man on grounds of sexual orientation by refusing to fulfil an order for a cake that read "Support Gay Marriage". In October 2016, the Court of Appeal in Belfast found that Ashers Baking Company had directly dis

The Parole Board reviewed a record 114 cases in 2017, with its recommendations accepted in full by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan in all but three cases. At the start of the year, there were 349 prisoners serving a life sentence in the State, of whom 21 were granted period of temporary release.

Matheson has announced the launch of a new mobile app to aid businesses facing a dawn raid in the investigation of a suspected white collar crime. The Dawn Raid App includes step-by-step guidance for a business experiencing a dawn raid and provides quick access to Matheson lawyers.

Sinn Féin has called on the UK government to "immediately release adequate funding to resource the Lord Chief Justice's Legacy Inquest Plan". The party made the demand as its launched its submission to the public consultation on planned legislation to address the legacy of the conflict.

The First Division of the Court of Session in Edinburgh, chaired by the Lord President, Lord Carloway, has written to the Court of Justice of the European Union requesting a preliminary ruling on whether the UK decision to leave the European Union can be unilaterally revoked. The reference follows t

The International Bar Association’s Legal Policy & Research Unit is undertaking a global survey focusing on bullying and harassment in the legal profession.

In its decision in the case of Chong and Others v the United Kingdom the European Court of Human Rights has unanimously declared the application inadmissible. The case concerned the killing of 24 men in December 1948 by British soldiers in the village of Batang Kali in Selangor, which is now a state

A new law that stops Shetland being put in a box on maps of Scotland has come into force. Under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, its position relative to the mainland will now have to be “accurately and proportionately” shown on maps produced by Scottish government bodies.

A go-kart operator that allowed drivers to dress up as Mario characters and drive through major Japanese cities has lost a court battle with Nintendo. The video game company said the MariCAR go-kart service did not have permission to allow drivers to dress up as its characters.

A woman who contended that the Flags (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2000 breached the Good Friday Agreement 1998, has had her application for judicial review dismissed in the High Court in Belfast. Finding that in introducing the Regulations, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland had fulfille

Over 150 solicitors have joined a new nationwide alliance aimed at helping small- and medium-sized solicitor firms compete locally and regionally for personal, corporate and State legal services work. The National Solicitors Alliance (NSA), launched to coincide with the re-opening of the Irish court

Data protection experts discussed the post-Brexit opportunities for Ireland at the official launch of Lewis Silkin's new Dublin office. Dale Sunderland, deputy commissioner at the Irish Data Protection Commission, and Joanne Redmond, director and associate counsel for international employment at Fac

The Government has announced the nomination of Garret Simons SC for appointment to the High Court, as well as solicitors James McCourt and John Hughes to the Circuit Court and District Court respectively. The vacancy in the High Court arises from the retirement of Mr Justice Paul Butler today, while