News

A new Law Reform Commission report on suspended sentences is due to be published on Monday, the law reform body has said. The report comes three years after the commission invited submissions on an issues paper concerning both the principles that apply to imposing suspended sentences and the procedu

Prisons in Northern Ireland will resume offender management programmes on a phased basis under a further easing of prison restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prisons will also work with their education partners to resume some class-based learning under the latest easing, which foll

Human rights campaigners have called on the Northern Ireland Executive to provide additional funding and support to victims of domestic violence, as new figures reveal over 32,000 domestic abuse incidents in the last 12 months. A new report published by the PSNI revealed that there were 32,127 domes

A practising barrister has written a new authoritative guide to the responsibilities of professional witnesses in court cases. The Reliable Expert Witness, written by barrister Mark Tottenham and published by Clarus Press, is aimed at professionals from many disciplines, businesses and industries wh

Keavy Ryan, partner at A&L Goodbody, reflects on the future for solicitors qualifying in 2020. Take a moment to consider the class of 2020. After years of hard work from secondary school right through to the final year of third level, they will graduate into a world of uncertainty. Over the

A new report seeks to address the erosion of public trust in the justice system's response to deaths that give rise to public concern. When a catastrophic event or systemic failure results in death or injury, the justice system must provide a framework to understand what happened and to prevent recu

The UK government has announced that it will be introducing a new "world-leading" law to clean up the UK's supply chains and protect rainforests from illegal deforestation. The proposed legislation would prohibit larger UK businesses from using products grown on land that was deforested illegally.

The Saudi Human Rights Commission has announced that, following a royal decree, the sentences of all people convicted of childhood crimes will be reviewed. According to a new Royal Order, all authorities must suspend the application of the death penalty for those convicted while they were minors, pe

A famous painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals, valued at over £13 million, has been stolen for the third time in three decades. Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer was stolen from a museum in Leerdam, near Utrecht in the Netherlands, earlier this week, The Guardian reports.

The High Court has refused an ex parte application to admit a will to probate on the grounds that there were two obliterations on its face. Background

MKB Law has announced the appointment of solicitor Jose Lazaro to the firm's corporate and commercial team. Mr Lazaro, who is also qualified in Spain and England and Wales, has worked on multiple corporate deals for different firms across Northern Ireland and Spain.

DLA Piper has urged Irish employers to take a "proactive approach" to their employees' mental wellbeing as Ireland slowly begins reopening society and business. The global law firm has published a new report on mental health in the workplace, covering a range of topics including the legal aspects of

Kennedys has urged the government to establish an independent panel to advise on the personal injury discount rate based on what people actually do with their compensation. The global law firm set out its recommendations on the matter in response to a Department for Justice and Equality consultation

The High Court in Belfast has quashed the Home Secretary's decision not to allow a Somalian man to make a fresh asylum application nearly 15 years after absconding during the asylum process. Omaar Ismail fled from Somalia in 2002 and claimed asylum in the UK shortly after arriving in London in early

Irish citizenship laws should be amended to clarify the requirement for applicants to be of "good character", a law lecturer has said. Bashir Otukoya, a lecturer at Griffith College Dublin (GCD), told the Dublin InQuirer that "good character" is poorly defined and open to interpretation.