Northern Ireland

Belfast solicitor Laura Banks has welcomed a report by MPs criticising the UK government's failure to act following a landmark UK Supreme Court decision on Widowed Parent's Allowance. Ms Banks, of Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors, acted for Siobhan McLaughlin in her successful challenge to the rule

Human rights law expert Professor Colin Harvey has called for dialogue about Irish unity to continue in the "spirit of generosity" after speaking out about political pressure over his work. Professor Harvey, of QUB School of Law, told an event at Derry's Guildhall that he felt "under siege from poli

Lawyers from Shanghai and Shenzhen addressed Northern Ireland firms on doing business in China at a seminar hosted by A&L Goodbody (ALG). Guests at the firm's ‘Understanding China’s Economic Drivers and Practices’ event heard from Chinese lawyers Chris Zhang and Teresa Yang, wh

Wilson Nesbitt has become the first law firm in Northern Ireland to achieve a certification in GDPR from compliance specialists Briefed. The certification process involved an in-depth audit of the firm's information governance and accountability, and the policies, procedures and controls in place to

Pinsent Masons has announced the appointment of Danielle McKeefry, Hannah Megarry, Lisa McGrady and Rory Copeland as solicitors following the end of their training contracts in Belfast. Ms McKeefry has joined the corporate team, while Mr Megarry has joined the property team and Ms McGrady has joined

Human rights firm KRW Law has announced the appointment of Chris Fox as an assistant solicitor. Mr Fox, from Donegal, is the latest addition to the growing practice, which now extends beyond Belfast to Dublin and London.

Prominent human rights lawyer Patrick Fahy has passed away at the age of 75. Mr Fahy, who founded Patrick Fahy & Co Solicitors in 1970, acted for the families of Troubles victims in a series of high-profile cases.

A recent crackdown on paramilitarism in Northern Ireland is being held back by stalled reforms to the committal process, the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) has warned. The collapse of Stormont has put plans to phase out the committal process on hold, leading to longer criminal cases, accordi

Staff Maghaberry Prison have received an Excellence Award from the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) at their annual conference in Buenos Aires. The award is in recognition of “outstanding programmes which contribute to the safe reintegration of offenders into the commun

Claire Edgar, partner at Francis Hanna & Co Solicitors, considers yesterday's UK Supreme Court decision in a child abduction case. The majority of child abduction cases do not involve strangers. Children, who are caught up in the relationship disputes of their parents, are often removed from the

An apprentice solicitor at Higgins Hollywood Deazley has become a "dementia community champion" for the firm. Naomi Woods completed training with the Alzheimer's Society to expand her knowledge of the disease and how it can affect people.

Long-awaited legislation on domestic abuse and redress for victims and survivors historical institutional abuse is unlikely to be approved by MPs before it dissolves for an early election. The Domestic Abuse Bill, which would introduce a new offence of coercive control in Northern Ireland, is still

A child who suffered a traumatic brain injury shortly after her birth is to be awarded £2.5 million in damages under a settlement approved by the High Court in Belfast. Solicitor Harry McAleese of McCartan Turkington Breen (MTB) represented the 12-year-old girl in her claim against the Norther

Dr Anne Smith and Professor Colin Harvey consider the case for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland in our current Brexit-dominated landscape. A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland remains part of the unfinished work of the Belfast Agreement/Good Friday Agreement (the B/GFA). It is still needed, an

Belfast-based Wilson Nesbitt Solicitors won two awards in recognition of its conveyancing service. The firm received two gold awards in the Northern Ireland and County Antrim categories at the ESTAS Customer Service Awards 2019, sponsored by SearchFlow.