Northern Ireland

The body overseeing implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has given the UK government a final deadline by which it must provide details of its proposals to deal with the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland. The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministe

The Department of Justice has revealed that the Northern Ireland Prison Service has had its first positive COVID-19 test. A man remanded into custody to Maghaberry Prison on Thursday 3 September tested positive for the virus.

Bernard Brady QC has become the new chair of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland and Peter Coll QC has become vice-chair. Mr Brady was called to the Bar in 1994 and took silk this year. Much of his work as a barrister involved representing clients in the commercial and chancery courts.

Six new part-time commissioners have been appointed to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC). The six commissioners, who took up their posts for a three-year term yesterday, are Helen Henderson, Jonathan Kearney, David Lavery, Maura Muldoon, Edmond Rooney and Stephen White.

Grammar school transfer tests are to be delayed until next January following successful legal challenges brought to the High Court in Belfast. The transfer tests set to take place in November and December 2020 after a two to three week delay will now take place in January 2021, lawyers for the Depar

Lawyers acting for victims of the contaminated blood scandal have welcomed an announcement that compensation payments in Northern Ireland will be brought in line with England. The announcement by Health Minister Robin Swann concerns people on the NI Infected Blood Payment Scheme, who were diagnosed

There should be greater emphasis within the criminal justice system on prevention and early intervention, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) has said. Launching its corporate plan for 2020-23 this week, PBNI said it will continue to work with partners to "shape and influence criminal ju

Researchers have launched a comprehensive public database exploring amnesties granted during ongoing conflicts, as part of peace negotiations, or in post-conflict periods for the first time. The Amnesties, Conflict and Peace Agreement (ACPA) dataset contains detailed information on 289 amnesties int

Same-sex couples in Northern Ireland can have religious wedding ceremonies from today as new regulations come into force. The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020 removes the prohibition on religious marriage of same-sex couples from 1 September 2020.

The Home Office has been roundly condemned by lawyers across the UK for attacking the integrity of the legal profession and undermining the rule of law after releasing a video accusing "activist lawyers" of delaying deportations. The video, which was posted on the Home Office's Twitter page but late

Prisons in Northern Ireland will resume offender management programmes on a phased basis under a further easing of prison restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prisons will also work with their education partners to resume some class-based learning under the latest easing, which foll

Human rights campaigners have called on the Northern Ireland Executive to provide additional funding and support to victims of domestic violence, as new figures reveal over 32,000 domestic abuse incidents in the last 12 months. A new report published by the PSNI revealed that there were 32,127 domes

MKB Law has announced the appointment of solicitor Jose Lazaro to the firm's corporate and commercial team. Mr Lazaro, who is also qualified in Spain and England and Wales, has worked on multiple corporate deals for different firms across Northern Ireland and Spain.

The High Court in Belfast has quashed the Home Secretary's decision not to allow a Somalian man to make a fresh asylum application nearly 15 years after absconding during the asylum process. Omaar Ismail fled from Somalia in 2002 and claimed asylum in the UK shortly after arriving in London in early

Christopher Stanley, litigation consultant at KRW LAW LLP, comments on the UK government's proposals to restrict judicial review in England and Wales. Apparent judicial over-reach or the exercise of excessive judicial power is the present scourge of some in the current British government.