Coronavirus

A PSNI decision to discipline two junior officers following a controversial arrest at a wreath-laying event during the pandemic was unlawful, Northern Ireland's High Court has ruled. Mr Justice Scoffield said he was persuaded that the decision was taken because of a fear, "whether real or perceived"

Medical evidence shows "no connection" between the Covid vaccination administered to a 14-year-old boy and his death 24 days later, a coroner has found. Patrick O'Connor, coroner for the district of Mayo, returned an open verdict after a three-day inquest into the death of Joseph McGinty in Septembe

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal alleging that the Department of Health breached data privacy and GDPR requirements during the Covid-19 pandemic. The court upheld the decision of the trial court in the Williams case [2022] NIQB 12, delivered by Mr Justice Adrian Colto

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has rescinded two orders rejecting the right to trial by jury in defamation cases between Sir Van Morrison and former health minister Robin Swann. The court found that the trial judge erred in considering the facts and issues in the two cases together to deny

Law firms Arthur Cox and McCann FitzGerald have been recognised for their volunteer work with legal rights group FLAC during the Covid-19 pandemic. FLAC honoured its "Covid Clinic Champions" at its annual justice lecture, which was delivered by Professor Philippe Sands KC.

Weekly prison visits have been reinstated from today for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Physical visits were suspended in March 2020 after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. They were partly reinstated in May 2022, but limited to one physical visit every two weeks.

Legislation is set to be drafted to bring the regulation of nursing homes in line with the recommendations of the Covid-19 nursing home expert panel report. The Health (Amendment) Bill will make a number of amendments to the Health Act 2007, which provides for the regulation of designated centres fo

The High Court has dismissed an appeal from an insurance provider against a decision of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) that it acted unreasonably by declining to cover losses to a business arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. Hiscox SA had brought a statutory appeal claiming tha

A group representing Northern Ireland families who lost loved ones during the pandemic has been granted core participant status in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. P.A. Duffy & Co Solicitors is representing NI Covid Bereaved Families for Justice (NICBFJ), which is one of just 28 groups to successfully s

Lawyers for a group representing Northern Ireland families who lost loved ones during the pandemic are seeking core participant status in the next phase of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. P.A. Duffy & Co Solicitors is representing NI Covid Bereaved Families for Justice (NICBFJ), whose members want to g

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) has been ordered to pay €55,000 to a senior official with a heart condition who was denied the right to work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. The complainant instructed solicitors in June 2020 to lodge two complaints with the Workplace Relations Commission

Northern Ireland’s High Court has denied leave to judicially review emergency coronavirus notices which disrupted special needs education access. The court found that the issue had become academic and that judicial review was an improper route, given that there was a statutory complaint proced

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by Gemma O’Doherty and John Waters in their failed challenge to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions from Spring 2020. The appeal concerned whether the applicants were required to show expert evidence relating to the proportionality of the measures adopt

Legislation allowing for licensed premises to serve alcohol in outdoor seating areas has been extended for a further six months until the end of November 2022. The Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 was introduced in July 2021 after An Garda Síochána pointed out that bars an

The High Court has ruled that a gin distiller who produced hand sanitiser during the beginning of the Covid pandemic had a legitimate expectation that the product would be free from excise duty. The court held that there was an implied representation by the Revenue Commissioners that no excise duty