Northern Ireland

A recent crackdown on paramilitarism in Northern Ireland is being held back by stalled reforms to the committal process, the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) has warned. The collapse of Stormont has put plans to phase out the committal process on hold, leading to longer criminal cases, accordi

Staff Maghaberry Prison have received an Excellence Award from the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) at their annual conference in Buenos Aires. The award is in recognition of “outstanding programmes which contribute to the safe reintegration of offenders into the commun

Claire Edgar, partner at Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors, considers yesterday's UK Supreme Court decision in a child abduction case. The majority of child abduction cases do not involve strangers. Children, who are caught up in the relationship disputes of their parents, are often removed from the

An apprentice solicitor at Higgins Hollywood Deazley has become a "dementia community champion" for the firm. Naomi Woods completed training with the Alzheimer's Society to expand her knowledge of the disease and how it can affect people.

Long-awaited legislation on domestic abuse and redress for victims and survivors historical institutional abuse is unlikely to be approved by MPs before it dissolves for an early election. The Domestic Abuse Bill, which would introduce a new offence of coercive control in Northern Ireland, is still

A child who suffered a traumatic brain injury shortly after her birth is to be awarded £2.5 million in damages under a settlement approved by the High Court in Belfast. Solicitor Harry McAleese of McCartan Turkington Breen (MTB) represented the 12-year-old girl in her claim against the Norther

Dr Anne Smith and Professor Colin Harvey consider the case for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland in our current Brexit-dominated landscape. A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland remains part of the unfinished work of the Belfast Agreement/Good Friday Agreement (the B/GFA). It is still needed, an

Belfast-based Wilson Nesbitt Solicitors won two awards in recognition of its conveyancing service. The firm received two gold awards in the Northern Ireland and County Antrim categories at the ESTAS Customer Service Awards 2019, sponsored by SearchFlow.

PA Duffy & Co Solicitors has announced the appointment of Emma McCaul as a solicitor in the firm's conveyancing department. Ms McCaul will be dealing with residential and commercial property matters, wills drafting and administration of estates, including tax planning, enduring powers of attorne

The implications of Brexit for legal practices is one of the issues being explored at a series of events taking place throughout Northern Ireland this week. The events, organised by the Law Society of Northern Ireland, aim to provide local solicitors with up-to-date information on Brexit and a platf

A female engineer who alleged she was subjected to unlawful sex discrimination has settled a case against her former employer for £5,000 with support from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Grants Electric Services (NI) Ltd settled the case with former employee Amy Verner without ad

The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) has launched a consultation on moving to smoke-free prisons. The consultation, which runs until the end of November, follows the successful implementation of smoke-free prisons in Scottish, English and Isle of Mann prisons in recent years.

A public consultation on sentencing policy has been launched by the Department of Justice following a major review. The public consultation paper has been developed through extensive research of approaches to sentencing, and highlights issues raised during engagement with partner organisations and o

Legislation to establish a redress scheme for victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland will be debated in the House of Lords today. The second reading of the Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Bill will take place this afternoon.

Bars and law societies across Europe are today highlighting the importance of criminal legal aid in ensuring access to justice as part of European Lawyers' Day 2019. The fifth annual European Lawyers' Day, an initiative of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), is also highlighting