Coronavirus

Litigation is set to be brought against the decision not to carry out mass testing for coronavirus in Northern Ireland care homes. Belfast firm KRW LAW LLP is acting on behalf of Keith Gray, whose mother is a resident in a care home in Castlewellan, Co Down.

Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland programme director at Amnesty International, argues against a return to "business as usual" after the coronavirus pandemic is over. Amid the rising death toll, the dangers faced by our front line workers and the wider dislocation for a society dealing with COVID-19

Healthcare workers should be granted "immunity" from civil liability for medical negligence during the coronavirus pandemic, the Medical Defence Union (MDU) has said. The largest medical defence organisation in the UK, which provides legal support to around 200,000 healthcare workers, said existing

Police are preparing enforcement action for alleged licensing law breaches against a pub which has been delivering pints of Guinness during the lockdown. Belfast pub Hatfield House has been offering a "Guinness-on-wheels" service out of adapted vans, with plastic cups of the stout left on customers'

The first-ever remote hearings in the Irish courts began in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal this morning as part of a pilot of the new technology. The pilot was announced earlier this month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the administration of justice.

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan of Richard Grogan & Associates flags up a legislative flaw that could have a major impact after the coronavirus pandemic. Section 678 of the Companies Act 2014 is a problem in the making for employment lawyers. You might wonder why it would have any releva

A criminal defence lawyer has acted remotely for a client in a police interview in a Northern Ireland first. A digital mechanism was put in place after Ciarán Kerr-Johnston, solicitor at Belfast-based Brentnall Legal Ltd, issued pre-action proceedings against the PSNI on behalf of a client wh

A judge has criticised a policy of putting all new prisoners, including those on remand, in isolation for 14 days. Seven prisoners were unable to appear at Cork District Court via video link yesterday because there are no video facilities in isolation, the Irish Examiner reports.

Prisoner numbers in Ireland should be brought down faster through measures including presumption of bail, increased use of non-custodial sanctions and early releases in order to protect prisoners' rights, the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has said. The penal reform group made the remarks in respon

The temporary wage subsidy scheme introduced three weeks ago has been updated to address "anomalies". The changes announced yesterday apply to workers earning less than €500 per week (equivalent to €31,000) as well as those earning in excess of €586 per week (equivalent to €38,00

A 24-year-old man in Co Wexford has become the first person charged with offences under the new coronavirus emergency law. Denis Constantin appeared in Gorey District Court yesterday on two charges of contravening a provision of a regulation made under the Health (Preservation and Protection and oth

Ireland should follow the UK in relaxing insolvency laws during the coronavirus pandemic to give companies "the best chance of survival", lawyers have said. John Given, corporate partner at Dublin-based Philip Lee, said businesses should not be penalised for continuing to trade while insolvent "in t

Failures to provide frontline workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic could lead to criminal charges, solicitor advocate Ciarán Moynagh has warned. Mr Moynagh, of Belfast-based Phoenix Law, told the Belfast Telegraph that the Department of Health's dut

Larry Fenelon, co-founder and managing partner at Leman Solicitors, responds to new measures affecting public works. The Minister for Finance has confirmed that building contractors working under public works contracts are entitled to claim some expenses resulting from site closures in response to

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will livestream its proceedings for the first time in its history as part of its move to remote hearings during the coronavirus pandemic. The court has traditionally resisted moves towards live broadcasts of its hearings, instead publishing audio recor