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Justice Minister Helen McEntee will give up the justice portfolio for six months during her maternity leave, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has announced. Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will be assigned responsibility for the Department of Justice from the beginning of May until the e

Legislation to introduce preliminary trial hearings has cleared the Dáil and is on track to be approved by Senators before the summer recess. The Criminal Procedure Bill 2021, developed in consultation with the Courts Service and the Director of Public Prosecutions, will implement a recommend

Two major pieces of legislation on money laundering and white collar crime have been passed by the Oireachtas and will soon come into effect. The Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill strengthens existing anti-money laundering legislation and will give effect t

The Council of Europe has reopened its consideration of the Pat Finucane case following the UK government's refusal to order a fresh public inquiry into the solicitor's murder in 1998. The UK Supreme Court ruled in February 2019 that the state had failed to deliver an Article 2 compliant investigati

Experts in international trade and investment, EU external relations and Irish constitutional law will examine the legal and policy issues at stake in Ireland's ratification of the controversial CETA trade deal at an event later this month. The online seminar hosted by Maynooth University Department

The UK Supreme Court should be brought to heel in the wake of high-profile constitutional rulings, a former government lawyer has said. Sir Stephen Laws, former first parliamentary counsel, has called for curbs on the court's power and clarification of judges' powers.

Sibel Top, a PhD fellow of the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, considers whether EU extradition laws have passed the "Catalan test". On 8 March 2021, the European Parliament voted to lift the immunity of Catalan MEPs, Puigdemont, Comin and Ponsati. Although this

A Belfast man arrested for allegedly exposing himself in a Subway restaurant was found to have a Kinder Egg full of drugs concealed in his backside, police say. John Goddard, 48, was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and causing disturbances after reports he had exposed himself in a Subway in sou

The High Court has granted an order of certiorari against the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation’s refusal to consider an employment permit application for a non-EU national. The key question in the case was whether the applicant was entitled to be considered for an employment pe

The search for the next Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland has begun in advance of Sir Declan Morgan's retirement later this year. Sir Declan, who assumed the top judicial post in 2009, will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 in January 2022.

A private member's bill to increase penalties for fraudulent claims has been introduced to the Dáil. Independent TD Denis Naughten yesterday introduced the Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill 2021 on behalf of the nine-strong Regional Group, which believes it will help to tackle insur

Belfast-based Ó Muirigh Solicitors has announced the appointment of Niall Bradley as a solicitor. Mr Bradley brings over eight years' experience working in a law firm specialising in defence insurance litigation. He has acted for a number of market-leading national and international insurance

A consultation process has been launched to develop a "restorative recognition scheme" for survivors of mother and baby homes and county homes. The proposed scheme will be established as part of the government's response to the final report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation.

Ronan Daly Jermyn has welcomed six newly-qualified solicitors to its corporate and commercial, litigation, banking and healthcare teams following their traineeships.

A government bill on human trafficking needs to be toughened to be brought in line with EU and UN standards, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has said. The rights watchdog, designated under EU law as Ireland's independent national rapporteur on the trafficking of human beings, has publ