Northern Ireland

The practice direction underpinning the operation of the Commercial Hub of the High Court is being amended to allow for remote hearings, the commercial judge has announced. In a statement, Mr Justice Horner said the Hub would remain "open for business" in spite of coronavirus restrictions and their

A man convicted of murder and possession of firearms nearly four decades ago has had his convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal. Kevin Barry Artt was convicted in 1983 in connection with the 1978 killing of Albert Miles, deputy governor of the Maze Prison.

A personal injury lawyer has urged businesses to co-operate with the PSNI and insurance claims investigators amid a reported increase in hit-and-run incidents during the lockdown. Olivia Meehan, legal services director of JMK Solicitors, made the comments in response to reports from auto body repair

Eversheds Sutherland partner Matthew Howse and principal associate Damian McElholm consider the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. As each day passes, the economic challenges presented by COVID-19 are further illuminated. With the jobs retention scheme portal now open for applications,

A new crime novel from Northern Ireland lawyer-turned-author Steve Cavanagh is set to be released later this year. Fifty-Fifty, to be released in September, follows the case of two sisters suspected of murder who accuse each other of the crime.

The establishment of an independent Historical Investigations Unit (HIU) outside of the PSNI risks turning Northern Ireland into a "police state", two senior lawyers have claimed. Writing in the News Letter, Belfast solicitor Neil Faris and Peter Smith CBE QC, who served on the Patten Commission, sa

Strangulation is a substantial, separate and distinct aggravating feature to be taken into account in sentencing for domestic violence, appeal judges in Belfast have emphasised while dismissing an appeal against sentence. The Court of Appeal this morning upheld the 12-month prison sentence handed do

The chairs of nine influential Westminster committees have called on the UK government to provide a mechanism for scrutiny of the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit deal. In a letter sent to Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the chairs said MPs must be "notified of, and enabled to

The requirement to hold a public event as part of the pre-application process for major planning applications has been temporarily removed for five months. The changes, which came into effect via legislation on Friday 1 May, have been made to allow the planning system to continue functioning during

Prison healthcare workers are set to receive a £1,300 pay boost in recognition of their "vital work". The annual "environmental allowance" will be paid into salaries by July 2020, subject to necessary business case approval.

Laura Banks, solicitor at Francis Hanna & Co, highlights ongoing inequality in the bereavement benefits system. One of the most encouraging aspects of the government's response to the pandemic has been how quickly measures have been put in place and laws have been passed in order to support peop

Two new associates have joined Arthur Cox's litigation and dispute resolution team in Belfast. Kristina Cunningham joins the firm from a high-profile personal injury practice, while Tomás Corrigan has joined the Belfast team from the firm's Dublin office.

Sir Declan Morgan, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, has been ruled out as a candidate for the UK Supreme Court seat to be vacated by Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore on his retirement in September. Lord Kerr is the only justice with knowledge of and experience of practice in the law of Northern Ir

Coroners in Northern Ireland should be allowed to investigate whether failures in the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) have led to deaths, KRW LAW LLP has said. The Belfast-based human rights firm has written to the presiding coroner for Northern Ireland, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan,

Legacy inquests set to begin this year will be delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the presiding coroner has said. In a statement issued yesterday, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan said the "full impact of the pandemic and the associated containment measures on legacy inquests are not yet kno