Northern Ireland

A consultation on proposals to place adult safeguarding on a statutory footing has been extended for a further four weeks. The proposed Adult Protection Bill aims to respond to the 2019 scandal around safeguarding failings, including allegations of abuse, at Muckamore Abbey Hospital and Dunmurry Man

Retired Belfast solicitor Ted Jones has passed away, the Law Society of Northern Ireland has said. Mr Jones qualified as a solicitor in September 1973. He founded corporate law firm Jones & Company Solicitors in 1998 and served as its principal partner until his retirement in 2012.

Law firm Carson McDowell and Belfast Chamber of Commerce have launched a new series of events aimed at starting a debate around the future growth and development of Belfast. The "Re-Energising Belfast" series of four virtual events will consider some of the key development challenges and opportuniti

Human rights experts Professor Phil Scraton and Dr Maeve O'Rourke have been appointed as part of a three-person team to establish the terms of reference for a fully independent investigation into mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries in Northern Ireland. The "truth recovery design team" will

Northern Ireland's courts backlog has eased slightly since the height of the pandemic, with around 10,000 criminal cases outstanding at the start of February. Justice Minister Naomi Long said the 10,000 total was up on 8,100 cases in March 2020 but "down significantly" from a peak of 12,800 in Septe

The number of defendants brought back to court for breach of their bail conditions has risen by around 50 per cent in five years, new figures reveal. Provisional figures show there were 2,286 bail revoked orders made in 2019, a 50 per cent increase from 1,523 in 2015 – with a substantial incre

The £108 million redevelopment of Magilligan Prison has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic but progress has still been made, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. Magilligan is a medium- to low-security facility near Limavady which holds more than 450 male prisoners with six years or less t

The High Court has determined that a Health and Care Trust did not act unlawfully after it reduced the level of social care to two profoundly disabled adults due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The court said that the decision taken by the Trust to reduce care services from March 2020 was r

Defendant insurance specialist firm Horwich Farrelly has reported continued growth in Northern Ireland, with Eva Bashford and Sarah McLeigh joining the team. Ms Bashford joins the firm as a partner, bringing over 15 years' experience of dealing with claims in both Northern Ireland and the Republic o

Controversial spit hoods have been rolled out to thousands more PSNI officers in spite of a call from the Northern Ireland Policing Board for their use to be "phased out as soon as possible". Four NGOs – Amnesty International, the Children's Law Centre, CAJ and Include Youth – have calle

Legislation providing a legal definition of bullying and requiring schools to record incidents of bullying will finally be brought into effect in September. The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (NI) 2016, which was passed with the support of all political parties, will commence from 1 September 20

English solicitor Greg Cox has been appointed as a trustee to the board of governors of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP). Mr Cox is the managing partner and CEO of English law firm Simpson Millar and has extensive experience of financial management, governance experience, capital raising and

A prominent solicitor who headed one of Northern Ireland's largest commercial law firms may not go on trial for alleged fraud offences until 2023, a court has heard. Solicitor Ian Coulter, 49, and businessman Frank Cushnahan, 78, were charged last year with fraud offences linked to the sale of NAMA&

Legislation to change how the personal injury discount rate is calculated has been introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Damages (Return on Investment) Bill, which follows a public consultation last year, will change how the personal injury discount rate is set.

Belfast-based KRW LAW LLP has expanded its legacy department with the appointment of Padraig McIlkenny, who joins the practice from the community sector. Mr McIlkenny will assist in both the conflict and historical institutional abuse sectors of the team's work.