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The Bar Council of Northern Ireland has introduced a new version of its code of conduct for barristers. The new code of conduct, which took effect from 1 October 2020, applies to all barristers, whenever called to the Bar and whether or not they currently hold a practising certificate.

A loyalist killer who had his licence revoked six years after his release can apply again for early release, the Court of Appeal has ruled. The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, handed down judgments on Friday in two cases concerning prisoner Michael Stone.

The legal profession must act to ensure there is no "lasting detriment" to young lawyers as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic striking early in their careers, the deputy president of the UK Supreme Court has said. Lord Hodge spoke on the courts' response to the pandemic at the British Irish Commerci

The UK Supreme Court could be left with just one woman judge in a few months' time, risking a reversal of progress on diversity on the bench, campaigners have warned. Lady Black has announced plans to retire early next year, leaving Lady Arden, who is due to step down in 2022, as the sole woman on t

Two dairy factory workers have been arrested in connection with a viral video showing one of them taking a bath in a milk tank. A video uploaded to TikTok shows a worker at the factory in south-central Turkey fully submerged in milk and pouring it over himself.

The Supreme Court has overturned the judgments of the High Court and Court of Appeal in an action taken by a 25-year-old man for catastrophic injuries allegedly suffered in the circumstances of his birth. Background

Embattled Supreme Court judge Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe has finally met with the Chief Justice following the Denham report into his controversial attendance at a golf dinner. Former chief justice Susan Denham found in her report that Mr Justice Woulfe had failed to consider “the advisabi

The cost of litigation in Ireland should be brought down by fee guidelines, the civil justice review group chaired by former High Court president Mr Justice Peter Kelly has reportedly recommended. Mr Justice Kelly was appointed in 2017 to chair a group to review and reform the administration of civi

Mr Justice Gerry McAlinden has been appointed as interim president of the Victims' Payments Board, which will determine who is entitled to payments under the new Troubles pension scheme. The Department of Justice was designated in August, following a long political row, as the administrator of the l

Insurance risk and commercial law specialist firm BLM has welcomed a decision not to set an interim personal injury discount rate pending legislation to introduce a new mechanism for setting the rate. The Department of Justice ran a consultation this summer on how the discount rate or “real ra

A group led by Belfast solicitor Niall Murphy has called on the Irish government to establish an all-island Citizens' Assembly on constitutional change. A delegation from Mr Murphy's group, Ireland's Future, met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday to urge him to prepare for constitutional

Ronan Daly Jermyn partner Louise Smith and trainee Aisling Breen explore proposals to reduce plaintiff costs in personal injury litigation. The personal injuries realm has often been known to be “pro-plaintiff” with little risk involved in bringing a claim and no real incentive to settle

Just three per cent of rape cases referred to prosecutors in Northern Ireland in the past year led to prosecution and conviction, new figures suggest. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) received 1,684 files involving a sexual offence during the 2019/20 financial year, a six per cent increase on th

Arthur Cox has been named Domestic Law Firm of the Year at an awards ceremony celebrating groundbreaking pro bono projects undertaken on behalf of NGOs and social enterprises. The TrustLaw Awards, now in their tenth year, took place virtually yesterday morning. TrustLaw connects lawyers offering pro

Female barristers are likely to earn less than male barristers and those from black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are likely to earn less than white barristers, according to a new report.