Northern Ireland

Landmark domestic abuse legislation has been delayed by Justice Minister Naomi Long due to a row over legal aid and is no longer expected to become law by the end of the year. The Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill was due to be debated at the further consideration stage by MLAs yesterday bu

The practising certificate renewal process will be moved entirely online for 2021, the Law Society of Ireland has announced. The move was "necessitated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the need to ensure a timely and efficient PC renewal process", solicitors were told in the latest president's b

Cleaver Fulton Rankin has announced the promotion of five lawyers across a number of its key practice areas. Conor McCrory has been promoted to associate director in the business and private immigration team, while Nathan Campbell and Shane Conlon have been promoted to associate solicitors in the em

Shoosmiths has announced the appointment of M&A specialist Mark Davis as a partner in Belfast. Mr Davis has significant experience in the private equity sector, having worked with a range of clients, including multinational corporates, private equity funds and the offices of wealthy internationa

Proposals to introduce new domestic abuse protection notices and orders (DAPNs and DAPOs) in Northern Ireland have been set out in a new consultation document. The new mechanisms are being proposed as a replacement for the domestic violence protection notices and orders (DVPNs and DVPOs) which were

Judges will decide on Wednesday whether a judicial review centred on whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson acted in bad faith by signing the Brexit deal can go ahead. The proceedings have been brought by an anonymous litigant who lives near the border and seeks a court declaration that Mr Johnson sig

Legislation has come into effect in Northern Ireland allowing civil partnerships to be converted into marriages and vice versa. Under The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020, same-sex couples can for the first time convert their civil partnerships into marriage

Most of the sexual offences cases in which convictions were set aside just over two months ago after a legislative error came to light will not return to court, prosecutors have announced. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) yesterday announced the outcome of its review of the 15 cases involving 17

HHD Solicitors has announced the promotion of John O’Kelly to associate solicitor. Mr O'Kelly graduated from the University of Ulster in 2010 with a 2:1 in Law with Politics and qualified as a solicitor in 2013. 

A former midwifery student at Queen's University Belfast has settled a disability discrimination case against the university for £20,000. Sarah Walker, who lives with cystic fibrosis, brought the case with support from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI).

A man convicted four decades ago of offences linked to alleged paramilitary activity has had the convictions quashed in the Court of Appeal in Belfast.

The police have apologised to 115 people after they were stopped and searched without correct approval due to a "technical error". The paperwork authorising the searches had been signed by an individual who lacked authority, the BBC reports.

Work has recommenced on drafting a defamation reform bill for Northern Ireland, but it is unlikely to be debated until after the next Stormont elections. There have been prominent class for defamation reform in Northern Ireland since the Defamation Act 2013 overhauled the defamation regime in Englan

A transgender woman has brought judicial review proceedings arguing that the requirement to have a medical diagnosis in order to obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC) breaches her human rights. Solicitor Ciarán Moynagh of Phoenix Law is representing the anonymous woman in the proceedi

Geraldine McGahey, chief commission of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, notes the continued importance of the landmark Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Today marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities – a day dedicated to promote full and equal participation of people