Coronavirus

Physical prison visits will resume in Northern Ireland later this month, Justice Minister Naomi Long has confirmed. Under new guidance, physical visits will be allowed to take place from 27 July, but virtual visits will remain "the preferred option".

Lisa Bryson, partner and head of employment at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, considers the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in Northern Ireland. In some ways, it seems that the introduction of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or the ‘Furlough’ scheme as its more commonly referred

Global experts in law and human rights have contributed to a new online publication about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19, Law and Human Rights: Essex Dialogues, published today by the University of Essex, includes expert analysis on issues including emergency powers legislation, healt

The first tranche of legacy inquests due to be heard as part of a five-year plan may begin to be heard in October in unprecedented "hybrid" hearings following delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The presiding coroner for Northern Ireland, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan, who will soon be succeeded in

The UK government should act immediately to deal with a "pandemic of misinformation" that poses an existential threat to our democracy and way of life, according to a report of the Lords' Committee on Democracy and Digital Technologies. The committee said online platforms are not "inherently ungover

Lawyers have been urged by Ms Justice Mary Irvine, the new president of the High Court, to consider settling 320 personal injury cases which have been left "in limbo" since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement this morning, Ms Justice Irvine highlighted statistics showing that 97 per c

New Nightingale-style courts will be opened to deal with the backlog of more than half a million criminal cases that have built up during the pandemic, The Times reports. Ten sites have been identified by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), amongst them town halls and university lecture theatres, wh

The PSNI is facing renewed calls to suspend its use of spit hoods following new evidence that they provide no protection from COVID-19 and could in fact increase the risk of infection. The controversial restraint devices were made more widely available to officers at the end of March by Chief C

Jason O'Sullivan, solicitor and public affairs consultant at J.O.S Solicitors, sets out some tips for employers as public health restrictions begin to ease. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s announcement last week that the Cabinet has approved plans to accelerate Ireland’s exit from current lockd

Physical prison visits will resume on a phased basis next month, nearly four months after their suspension during the COVID-19 crisis, the Irish Prison Service has announced. A new system of video visits was introduced in lieu of physical prison visits following their suspension on 27 March 2020.

A judicial review brought in response to a decision to reduce the number of inspections in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic has been withdrawn following a U-turn by the Department of Health. Belfast firm KRW LAW LLP was instructed by Keith Gray, son of care home resident Briege Gray, to chall

Eoin Brereton, partner at Philip Lee, considers new guidance on directors' duties during COVID-19. On 4 June 2020 the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) issued welcome guidance for directors of companies that ultimately become insolvent because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This guid

Katie McAuliffe, senior associate at Mason Hayes & Curran, explores the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare litigation. COVID-19 has placed the world in virtual lockdown. In an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus, the Irish government introduced travel restrictions limiting travel to essenti

The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has launched an investigation into the PSNI's enforcement of public health regulations at large public gatherings, including recent Black Lives Matter protests. The investigation will consider whether police have been consistent in their approach to issuing

The Belfast head of global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has been appointed to a new advisory group established to help rebuild the Northern Ireland economy after COVID-19. Lisa McLaughlin, who was recently promoted to the firm's global partnership, is one of 11 members of the new economic adviso