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Draft guidelines intended to assist planning authorities with city and county development plans have been published for public consultation. The government is inviting submissions on matters of process and methodology in the preparation of development plans until Friday 8 October 2021.

The Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) has launched a new restorative justice practice framework setting out its ambition to become the leading organisation for the delivery of restorative practices for adults at all stages of the criminal justice system. As one of the first steps in implem

Facebook could be forced to sell off Giphy, one of the largest online platforms for animated GIFs, following concerns raised by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA has provisionally found Facebook's $400 million merger with Giphy will harm competition between social media platf

An EU directive promoting the use of electric cars by public bodies has been transposed into Irish law. The European Communities (Clean and Energy-Efficient Road Transport Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 381 of 2021) came into effect on Monday 2 August 2021.

Scotland's Crown Office is being sued for £120 million by a global financial consultancy firm over reputational damage allegedly sustained during the botched fraud probe into Rangers. New York-based multinational Duff & Phelps has claimed it suffered loss of earnings as two of its employee

A lawyer has agreed to pay seven buffaloes in compensation after insulting an indigenous beauty pageant. Malaysian lawyer Marcel Jude Joseph reached a deal with local native leaders after he insulted the Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant by comparing it to a cattle show.

The government's new Judicial Appointments Commission Bill is expected to be published by the end of next month, the Department of Justice has said. Ministers agreed late last year to draft legislation replacing the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB) with a new Judicial Appointments Commiss

UK law firm Shoosmiths, with an office in Belfast, saw its average profit per equity partner (PEP) rose sharply by 41 per cent to £658,000, according to its latest financial results. The firm also announced turnover of £167.9 million for the year to April 2021, an increase of nine per ce

The Law Society of Ireland welcomed 500 transition year students to its second annual Legal Ambitions Summer School, introducing them to the basics of law. The free four-week online course, delivered by experienced lawyers and judges, is designed to encourage young people to broaden their vision of

Cork lawyer Dr Sinead Kane has been named as one of 20 finalists in the JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (JCI TOYP) programme in recognition of her personal accomplishments. Dr Kane is a keynote speaker, double PhD doctorate, double Guinness World Record holder, lecturer on disability

A man with a learning disability has settled a case alleging disability harassment against retailer B&M for £5,000 without admission of liability with support from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI). During his 18 months at B&M in a stock-filling role, Harvey Spence sa

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a public consultation on its draft international data transfer agreement (IDTA) and guidance. When organisations send personal information to a country outside the UK, they must ensure people’s data protection rights continue to

Relaxed blood donation rules allowing for more gay and bisexual men to donate blood in Northern Ireland will be brought into effect next week. Until 2016, there was a blanket ban on men who have had sex with other men donating blood in Northern Ireland.

A bungling bank robber left his target empty-handed because bank staff couldn't make decipher the poor handwriting on his threatening note. Sussex man Alan Slattery, 67, has been jailed after robbing one bank and attempting to rob two others in the space of two weeks.

The new statutory Parole Board, chaired by Mr Justice Michael White, has been formally established following the commencement of the Parole Act 2019. The legislation sets out clear and transparent criteria for how the Board will reach its decisions, which will be independent of the justice minister