News

The Bar of Ireland has presented its annual human rights award to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC).

Keir Starmer has announced a major crackdown on immigration to the UK in order to end what he called an "experiment in open borders". Echoing the language of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in the wake of his triumph in recent English local elections, Mr Starmer today said his new approach to immigrat

Lawyers have responded with incredulity to the Trump administration's suggestion it could suspend habeas corpus rights in response to judges blocking or delaying deportations. Stephen Miller, the White House's deputy chief of staff, said on Friday that a suspension of the right of a detained person

Michelle Drury and Maria Cleary have been appointed to the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation's board of directors. Ms Drury, a member of the Bar of Ireland as well as a qualified solicitor, brings over 12 years' legal experience in corporate governance, finance, commercial, employment, da

Legislation introducing a "soft opt-out" system of consent for organ donation is to enter force next month. Part 2 of the Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Act 2024 will be commenced from 17 June 2025.

Street furniture licence fees for tables and chairs associated with outdoor dining are to be waived for the remainder of 2025. The measure is set to be included in the draft Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2025, which will shortly come before a joint Oireachtas committee

Trinidad and Tobago nationals will be required to have a visa before travelling to or through Ireland under changes aimed at bringing Ireland into closer alignment with the UK visa regime. The changes take effect from today, 12 May 2025, though transitional arrangements are in place for those who al

A woman decided to divorce her husband after asking ChatGPT to interpret the meaning of her coffee grounds and being told they indicated he cheated on her. The unnamed woman from Greece was apparently taking part in an online trend of asking the AI-powered chatbot to act as a fortune teller, her baf

Phoenix Law partner Darragh Mackin has appeared before the St Helena Court of Appeal in a case concerning access to justice for citizens of the British overseas territory. The Belfast lawyer has been instructed by St Helena's Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is intervening in the case, Pe

The full list of finalists for the 2025 LEAP Irish Law Awards has now been published.

The Central Bank of Ireland has become the first entity in the State to be named a "trusted flagger" under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). As a trusted flagger, the Central Bank will be able to notify online platforms about illegal content, which they are then legally obliged to deal with as a ma

Sustainability-focused funds continue to be on the rise in the EU in spite of "growing anti-ESG sentiment", according to a new report from the Maples Group. A review of over 27,000 funds across the two largest fund domiciles in the EU, Ireland and Luxembourg, has revealed how the Sustainable Finance

Sir John Gillen has been reappointed as independent assessor of PSNI recruitment vetting for a further four years. The retired judge, who sat on Northern Ireland's High Court from 1999 and the Court of Appeal from 2014 until his retirement in 2017, will serve for a second term until 30 April 2029.

UK government ministers have shelved plans to allow AI companies to train their models on copyrighted material unless creators actively opted out, following a backlash. The original proposal, floated in a December consultation, would have created a copyright exemption in favour of AI developers, pla

A round-up of human rights stories from around the world. Saudi Arabia executes its 100th prisoner so far this year