Bar Of Northern Ireland

Proposed cuts to Northern Ireland's justice budget would create "legal aid deserts" with access to justice severely curtailed or completely non-existent in many local towns, Stormont's justice committee will be warned today. Representatives from the Law Society and the Bar will tell MLAs that propos

The Bar of Northern Ireland and the Law Society of Northern Ireland have issued a stark joint warning over proposed cuts to Northern Ireland's justice budget, which the professions say will undermine access to justice. Representatives of the barrister and solicitor professions have been meeting with

The Bar of Northern Ireland has announced Action Deaf Youth as its chosen charity for 2021/22. The charity works across Northern Ireland providing direct services to deaf children from 0-25 years and their families. They support their users to grow in self-confidence, develop positive relationships

The Bar of Northern Ireland has launched a new service which provides e-bundles for court and is accessible to solicitors when instructing members of the Bar Library. Solicitors can now get easy and portable access to the new e-bundle service which is available across both desktop browsers and mobil

Christine Smith QC has been appointed to chair the public inquiry into the work of a Southern Trust urologist. The "historic appointment" makes Ms Smith the first woman to chair a public inquiry in Northern Ireland, The Bar of Northern Ireland has said.

Any changes to the Human Rights Act 1998 could "significantly undermine Northern Ireland's unique constitutional settlement", The Bar of Northern Ireland has said. In its submission to the UK government's review of the law, the Bar said it "would not support any amendments to the HRA as part of this

The Bar Council of Northern Ireland has introduced a new version of its code of conduct for barristers. The new code of conduct, which took effect from 1 October 2020, applies to all barristers, whenever called to the Bar and whether or not they currently hold a practising certificate.

Lawyers have welcomed an extension of jury trials to include a total of six court venues across Northern Ireland. Trials are now taking place in the Laganside Courts in Belfast as well as in Antrim, Craigavon, Newry, Coleraine and Dungannon Courthouses.

Northern Ireland's solicitor and barrister professions have rebuked Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his disparaging remarks about "lefty human rights lawyers". In a party conference speech, Mr Johnson said his government is "stopping the whole criminal justice system from being hamstrung by what th

The Bar of Northern Ireland has reaffirmed its commitment to the maintenance of the rule of law in a short statement issued in the wake of the UK government's U-turn on Brexit. Earlier this week, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told MPs that provisions in the Internal Market Bill would "bre

The Bar Council of Northern Ireland has recommended following the Scottish framework on personal injury discount rate. The Department of Justice recently launched a consultation on how the discount rate or “real rate of return”, used by the courts to determine the size of personal injury

Barristers Jenny Cunningham BL and Taryn Graham BL have been elected as new co-chairs of the Young Bar Association.

A proposed automatic bar on alleged domestic abusers cross-examining complainants should be extended from the criminal courts to include the family courts, the Bar Council of Northern Ireland has said. In a written submission to the call for written evidence on the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedi

Most Northern Ireland barristers will be unable to sustain their practice if there is no increase in court business or additional government support by September, a new survey suggests. A survey carried out by The Bar of Northern Ireland in April, with responses from nearly two-thirds (60 per cent)

The Bar of Northern Ireland has called for an immediate two-week suspension of all in-person court hearing except in "very exceptional" circumstances. The representative body for barristers issued a statement yesterday afternoon in response to the "unprecedented circumstances" created by the coronav