Coronavirus

Northern Ireland's High Court has declared several penalties under the Covid-19 regulations unlawful in circumstances where some had not been filled out and where others were filled out incorrectly by PSNI officers who variously entered private dwellings or dispersed protesters. This case involved t

The High Court has determined that a hotel was not entitled to insurance cover for pandemic losses under an RSA policy of insurance. The policy required a notifiable disease to be “manifesting itself at the premises” for the policy to cover any losses. In a 94-page judgment, Mr Justice D

Developers in Northern Ireland will again be required to hold a public event as part of the pre-application process for major planning applications following the expiration of the temporary suspension. The requirement, which has been suspended since 1 May 2020, will be reinstated for proposed of app

An emerging international agreement to waive certain intellectual property rights in relation to Covid-19 vaccines has been criticised by civil society groups as a "half-measure". India and South Africa have led calls since October 2020 for certain parts of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of

Northern Ireland’s High Court has dismissed an application for judicial review of the Covid-Status certification scheme, finding that the regulations introduced had been a legal, legitimate, necessary and proportionate response to the pandemic emergency. This decision was one of a series surro

Northern Ireland’s High Court has dismissed an application for judicial review arguing that so-called "vaccine passports" breached GDPR and data protection laws, finding that the unvaccinated applicant had insufficient standing for such a claim. This decision was one of a series surrounding re

More than a million audio or video connections have been made for remote and hybrid hearings in the Northern Ireland courts between the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 and the end of December 2021. The Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) said 56 courtrooms are now digi

An Irish lawyer was forced to withdraw face masks with the words "no comment" emblazoned on them after being warned they could fall foul of advertising regulations. The Law Society wrote to Ciarán Mulholland in 2020, early in the Covid-19 pandemic, following a complaint made by a fellow solic

Northern Ireland could be stuck with its current Covid-19 restrictions for some time in the absence of a fully-functioning Executive to make decisions on relaxing them, it has emerged. The Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Act 2022, which came into force earlier this m

Up to three people will be allowed to visit prisoners with effect from Monday, the Irish Prison Service has announced. Prison visits have been subject to various restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the prison service confirmed that up to three visitors – which may include two childr

The High Court has ruled that FBD Insurance plc must pay publicans for losses arising from the early closures of premises which occurred from 10 August 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a 201-page judgment, Mr Justice Denis McDonald held that the early closing requirement was a government-impose

The High Court has issued a further ruling in the landmark FBD case, dealing with issues around quantum. The test cases brought by four pubs – The Leopardstown Inn, Sinnotts, Seán’s Bar, and Lemon and Duke – concern their business interruption insurance policies with FBD and

Northern Ireland prisons will resume in-person visits from Monday, the Northern Ireland Prison Service has confirmed. Visits were suspended shortly after Christmas 2021 in response to the increased risk posed by the Omicron variant.

Employees will be given the statutory right to request remote working under new government legislation. Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste and minister for enterprise, trade and employment, yesterday published the general scheme of his Right to Request Remote Work Bill, which forms part of the government

Nightclubs and late bars will not have to pay court fees or their associated excise duty in relation to special exemptions orders (SEOs) under a waiver applying until the end of April 2022. The new waiver follows a previous waiver that was in place from 19 October 2021 to 31 December 2021.