Northern Ireland

A pair of aspiring lawyers have been awarded the Gateley Legal Northern Ireland prize by Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Law. Students Robin Clarke and Tara McFeely split this year’s award, which is given to the student from the Masters in Law course who scored the highest o

A legally comprehensive study of Lord MacDermott, former law lord and Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, has been published for the first time. Lord MacDermott was first appointed to the bench in 1944 and retired from Northern Ireland's top judicial post in 1971, though continued to sit in vari

Northern Ireland's justice minister, Naomi Long, has responded harshly to criminal barristers' strike plans, branding demands for legal aid fee increases "unrealistic and unaffordable". The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) last week confirmed plans to withdraw from all Crown Court cases early next mon

Criminal barristers in Northern Ireland are to fully withdraw from all Crown Court cases early next year in a significant escalation of an ongoing dispute over legal aid fees.

An updated practice direction on third-party disclosure in Northern Ireland sexual offence and serious assault cases will take effect next week. The revised version of Practice Direction No. 2 of 2019 was published by the Lady Chief Justice's Office yesterday and takes effect from 15 December 2025.

Northern Ireland firm Turley Legal has recruited Alan Bissett as a senior member of its corporate and commercial team. Mr Bissett is dual-qualified in Northern Ireland and in England and Wales and brings more than 30 years’ experience advising businesses across a wide range of sectors.

Joan McCoy of Employee Ownership Ireland urges solicitors in Northern Ireland to highlight the continued benefits of employee ownership in spite of UK tax changes. Last month, Employee Ownership Association held its annual conference in Telford. Although the event offered valuable insights and into

Bank of Ireland has been fined £2,000 for breaches of Northern Ireland employment equality legislation. The fine was imposed by Northern Ireland's High Court following a prosecution by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland firm Carson McDowell is to be led by Orlagh O'Neill and Declan Magee from next year. Ms O'Neill will succeed Roger McMillan as managing partner and Mr Magee will succeed Neasa Quigley as senior partner with effect from 1 May 2026.

Lawyers acting for victims of the so-called "Glenanne gang" say they disagree with a report's conclusion that collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and state actors was not systemic. Yesterday's final report from the Operation Kenova investigation into Stakeknife also included the high-level fin

Belfast-based Phoenix Law is acting for punk-rap duo Bob Vylan in Irish defamation proceedings brought against RTÉ over its coverage of their performance at Glastonbury. Lead singer Pascal Robinson-Foster, known as Bobby Vylan, was accused in an RTÉ News broadcast of leading antisemiti

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has marked Human Rights Day by uniting with its counterparts across the UK to call for urgent ratification of a new treaty designed to protect lawyers. The Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer provides a framework to protect

Northern Ireland firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin has announced five promotions, welcoming two new directors, one new associate director and two senior solicitors. Rachael Gamble and Stuart Nevin, both from the dispute resolution department, have been promoted to director, bringing the firm’s total

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has named PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland as its 2026 charity of the year. A non-government-funded organisation, PIPS Charity provides life-saving counselling and crisis support to individuals and families affected by suicide and poor mental health across Northern

Solicitor Séamus Hempenstall and Keith Farry BL welcome the landmark outcome of cross-border insolvency proceedings in which they acted. In a significant post-Brexit development, the High Court has, for the first time, recognised and enforced a Northern Ireland Individual Voluntary Arrangemen