Brexit

One of the UK government's most senior lawyers has become the latest in a line of civil servants to quit, seemingly over the government's U-turn on the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit deal. Sir Jonathan Jones QC has led the Government Legal Department (GLD) since 2014 (when it was known as TSol)

Professor Steve Peers of the University of Essex discusses the 'Dublin system' for asylum applications between EU states and the legal issues of the Channel crossings. One key feature of the debate on Channel crossings is the impact of the EU’s ‘Dublin system’, allocating responsib

The slow progress of UK-EU talks poses a "real threat" to the Northern Ireland peace process, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said in her first discussion with her northern counterpart. Ms McEntee spoke with Justice Minister Naomi Long by phone yesterday in their first direct conversation since t

British lawyers are among professionals who have functioned as "enablers" for the extension of Russian influence in the UK, according to a long-awaited report from the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC). The committee drew up the report on Russia last year under the chairmanship

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has recruited new staff in anticipation of a significant increase in the number and complexity of merger notifications following Brexit. The competition watchdog continued to "adjust and expand to meet increased responsibilities and challenge

The UK government has come under pressure from a Westminster committee to set out how it will facilitate "unfettered" trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain under the Brexit deal. In a new report, the Northern Ireland affairs committee said the UK's proposals for implementation of the Nort

Northern Ireland courts could have the power to depart from the acquis of EU law under proposals set out by the UK government yesterday. At present, only the UK Supreme Court and the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland will have this power from 31 December 2020.

Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee has said the Northern Ireland protocol's detail is vague and lacks information on customs and tariffs as Brexit negotiations continue. The protocol in the Withdrawal Treaty is the arrangement by which Northern Ireland follows the single market rules for go

Proposals for the implementation of the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit deal have been published by the UK government. A new 25-page document sets out how the UK proposes to meet its obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol, though Tánaiste Simon Coveney said parts of the document

Legislation providing for the introduction of a points-based UK immigration system after Brexit has passed second reading in the House of Commons. The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2020, supported by the Democratic Unionist Party, was passed by 351-252.

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 UK Supreme Court is "still obliged" to refer questions over unclear EU laws to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) at this stage of the Brexit process, Lord Hodge has said. The deputy president of the court made the remarks yesterday as he delivered, via video link, the court's una

The UK Government has been asked to clarify who will be responsible for implementing checks on trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain after the Scottish Government ruled out checks at Scottish ports. Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots told MLAs earlier this week that Scott

Some thought it would never happen but the UK has officially left the European Union and with that departure, we prepare to welcome a new points-based immigration system, writes Leona Rankin, associate at Carson McDowell. A Westminster policy statement issued last week details how the UK needs to sh

The Department of Justice should set out what "mitigation measures" are in place to deal with the potential fall-out of Brexit, an MLA has said. Justice and security arrangements including sensitive areas such as family law could be affected by any failure to secure a post-Brexit agreement.