Northern Ireland

Herbert Smith Freehills and US firm Kramer Levin are set to merge to create a new global law firm called Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. The combination of the two firms has been approved by their respective partnerships and is expected to take place on 1 June 2025.

Experts have raised concerns over proposals to expand the use of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) in Northern Ireland. A joint consultation conducted by the Department of Justice and the Department for Communities between November 2023 and April 2024 sought views on issues including including AS

The Bar of Northern Ireland has committed £100,000 in scholarships and bursaries to support law students at Queen's University Belfast. Since 2021, the Bar has been a key member of the Queen’s Bright Future Collective, a group of companies which helps enable access to higher education fo

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has determined that changes to the UK’s ‘release on licence’ regime did not amount to the retroactive imposition of a heavier penalty such as to preclude the surrender of a man alleged to have committed terrorist offences in Norther

Solicitor and former Belfast City Council chief executive Peter McNaney has been appointed as a non-executive member to the board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners. Mr McNaney practised as a corporate lawyer for 20 years prior to serving as chief executive of Belfast City Council for 13 years.

JMK Solicitors has retained its position as Northern Ireland's busiest personal injury practice for an 11th consecutive year.

Claire McAleer and Naomi White have been appointed to leadership roles in the Law Society of Northern Ireland's newly-established women's network. Ms McAleer, who will serve as chair of the network, returned to legal practice in 2022 after an eight-year break. She has a background in supporting wome

Northern Ireland's Department of Justice has identified 21 individuals whose convictions have been quashed in response to the Post Office scandal. The Post Office (Horizon Systems) Offences Act 2024 automatically quashes convictions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for certain offences alleged

A groundbreaking research project led by researchers at Ulster University's Centre for Legal Technology is to explore the role of AI in judicial decision-making. Researchers gave been granted £200,000 in funding from the UK's AI Security Institute to examine how AI could be responsibly in

Northern Ireland firm Wilson Nesbitt has appointed Neil Cahill as partner and head of dispute resolution. Mr Cahill joins from Fieldfisher in Dublin, where he was director of the litigation and dispute resolution team. Prior to that, he was head of disputes for UK and EMEA within ALT at Herbert Smit

Northern Ireland's Labour Relations Agency (LRA) has strengthened its independent appeals hearing service with a new governance framework and 16 new panel chairs. The independent appeals service is one of a suite of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services provided by the LRA, mostly to organis

Lewis Silkin NI partner Rory Campbell considers the latest situation around AI regulation in Northern Ireland. Last week the European Commission proposed that Northern Ireland should have to comply with EU laws regulating AI systems.

Solicitor Catherine Chambers has been appointed to the board of Northern Ireland's Education Authority (EA). Mrs Chambers has over 20 years' experience as a solicitor with specialist educational law experience, having worked as a partner in private practice and subsequently as a solicitor in the Edu

Legislation expanding official recognition of baby loss has been introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill will provide for the issuing of certificates which recognise stillbirths or the loss of a baby during pregnancy.

Northern Ireland firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin has been awarded the Silver Diversity Mark Accreditation by Diversity Mark. Diversity Mark is the awarding body of the Diversity Mark Accreditation, a ‘mark of progress’ awarded to organisations committed to building a culture of diversity and