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Dr Sarah Fulham-McQuillan, assistant professor at UCD Sutherland School of Law, considers the legal basis for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations. Promising results from COVID-19 vaccine trials emerged last month, while concern grows about the non-attendance by close contacts of coronavirus patients for

Commercial law firm Tughans remains the top M&A firm in Northern Ireland by deal count, according to the latest report from Experian Market IQ. There were just 58 transactions in Northern Ireland in the first half of 2020, a 65 per cent decline on the 65 during the same period last year, and Tug

The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) has announced that it will re-commence hearing appeals at its Dublin premises from Thursday. The tribunal has published an updated administrative practice note which sets out its plans for hearings at its Hanover Street premises. Some hearings wil

A criminal defence solicitor accused of theft and perverting the course of justice wants to meet the case head on and “reclaim his reputation”, a court has heard. Cahir O'Higgins, 45, appeared briefly before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Friday in order to set a trial date.

Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC has warned that judges suspect ministers are increasingly misleading the courts. Mr Grieve, who served as the UK government's senior law officer for four years under David Cameron, said a "serious problem" was emerging between the government and the judiciar

More than 5,000 local law firms and up to half of law centres in England and Wales could go bust as a result of the COVID-19 crisis if the UK government does not step in, MPs have warned. In a new report, Westminster's justice select committee has urged the Ministry of Justice to consider further gr

A treasure hunter who posted his rare finds online has been arrested for allegedly plundering archaeological sites with a metal detector. The 34-year-old man, who has not been named, apparently uploaded photos of his huge collection of Phoenician gold jewellery and Islamic, Roman and Visigoth artefa

The government's statutory plan for tackling climate change has been quashed by the Supreme Court following a challenge from Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE). Delivering the judgment of the court this morning, Chief Justice Frank Clarke said the National Mitigation Plan did not meet the requir

Property lawyer Sharon van Sinderen has been appointed as senior counsel at housebuilder Quintain Ireland. Ms van Sinderen joins the company from Tuath Housing Association, where she was senior solicitor, and has previously held roles with NAMA and business law firm Mason Hayes & Curran.

In-house lawyers are more likely to include pandemics in their standard force majeure clauses following the COVID-19 crisis, a survey conducted by business law firm Mason Hayes & Curran LLP has found. The survey of nearly 80 in-house lawyers from both the public and private sector shows that the

Two retired police officers identified as suspects in fatal shootings during riots in Belfast at the start of the Troubles will not be prosecuted, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has said. Prosecutors examined the deaths of 20-year-old Hugh McCabe, nine-year-old Patrick Rooney and 28-year-old S

Irish Legal News is proud to present an expert discussion on the changing landscape of data protection in Ireland and abroad. The free webinar, on Thursday 6 August, 2pm-4pm, follows our highly-successful webinar on access to justice earlier this month.

A woman has been jailed for nine months after spitting in the face of a key worker at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Belfast woman Pauline Burns, 56, pleaded guilty in Belfast Crown Court to one count of common assault on 4 April 2020.

Judgment in a case concerning alleged fraud and torture will be handed down next week by the UK Supreme Court via video link. The appellant (Shagang) and the respondent (HNA) are both based in China. In August 2008, a charterparty was concluded between Shagang and Grand China Shipping Co Ltd. HNA pr

The Court of Appeal (Civil Division) has remitted care proceedings in respect of a baby whose brother died to the Family Division after finding that the original judge may have expressed bias against one of the parties when she made a number of pejorative comments to her clerk about t