Coronavirus

Remote court hearings will be piloted in Ireland for the first time later this month in order to maintain the operation of the justice system during the coronavirus pandemic. In a joint statement, Chief Justice Frank Clarke and the presidents of the court jurisdictions said a "considerable amount of

The Legal Aid Board has established a nationwide legal and mediation information helpline in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The helpline, at 1890 615 200, provides information to callers on civil legal aid and family mediation services and basic legal information.

William Fry partner Laura Scott, senior associate Colette Brady and trainee solicitor Sophie Delaney consider whether growing concerns about the availability of certain drugs and equipment in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic will we see governments start to issue compulsory licences. Concerns arou

An Garda Síochána has announced a crackdown on domestic abuse during the coronavirus pandemic. The Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) is overseeing the implementation of "Operation Faoisimh", which is designed to ensure that victims of domestic abuse are supported and pr

Researcher Ethan Shattock argues that disinformation is a human rights issue and a human rights approach is needed in potential regulatory responses. In recent weeks, the outbreak of COVID-19 has demonstrated how false rumours, unverified information, and harmful lies can be spread with rapid speed

The latest guidance from the Courts Service of Ireland in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, issued on Sunday night, is reproduced in full below. Notice for practitioners and members of the public requiring services from court offices in respect of criminal, family law and civil law business

The Law Society of Ireland has called for legislation to ensure that the possible closure of court offices does not affect proceedings being issued urgently to comply with the statute of limitations. The Law Society has been in contact with the Courts Service on the matter, but has called for legisl

Patrick Dunne urges reason in discussions about the lockdowns aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus. In the midst of a lockdown in this country, and lockdowns in many other western democracies, reference has been made to the imposition of martial law. This, it is claimed, would result in member

The UK government has been advised by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) that it can use anonymised mobile phone data in order to track people who have COVID-19. Deputy commissioner Steve Wood said in a statement: “Generalised location data trend analysis is helping to tackle the coro

The UK's wrongful trading law will be suspended to allow businesses to "weather the storm" of the coronavirus pandemic, Alok Sharma, the UK business secretary, has announced. The change, backdated to apply from 1 March 2020, will allow directors of companies to pay staff and suppliers even if the co

Draft legislation to ban evictions during the coronavirus pandemic has been amended to widen its provisions to include "rent-a-room" arrangements and Traveller sites. The amendment, proposed by People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith and narrowly backed by 25 votes to 24, extends the evictions ban

People claiming to have COVID-19 who deliberately cough at others could be imprisoned for up to 12 months, the Director of Public Prosecutions has warned. The intervention from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) comes after reports in recent days of police, shop workers and vulnerable groups being

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan of Richard Grogan & Associates argues that Irish employers should not take advantage of the new temporary wage subsidy scheme introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020 was in

Directors across the UK are asking the government for a temporary indemnity which allows them to keep technically insolvent firms in operation during the coronavirus pandemic without fear of legal action. Under current legislation, company boards can be sued for failing to wind up a company if it is

William Fry associate Sarah Plunkett explores the opportunities of using technology to maintain business continuity in the Irish courts during the coronavirus pandemic. The effects of the current outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) have already caused an extensive impact on global economic and social