Northern Ireland

Belfast law firm Edwards Solicitors has moved to spacious new offices in the Cathedral Quarter. The practice, which is approaching its 65th birthday, has taken 5,200 sq feet over two floors in the former Church House building in Donegall Street to accommodate 47 solicitors and staff.

Ulster University's Centre for Legal Technology (CLT) has announced a new research and innovation partnership with Lawri AI, a Northern Ireland-based legal technology startup. The collaboration, led by CLT's director John Keers BL, will explore how AI and automation can improve the efficiency, accur

A solicitor who was forced out of her home by a relentless campaign of criminal harassment has urged legal professionals to break the “taboo” of speaking out about abuse. Emma Lyons, who runs a family and criminal law practice in west Belfast, joined the Law Society of Northern Ireland&r

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is facing a lawsuit for allegedly failing to comply with its obligations towards trans people under EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights. The Good Law Project said it was taking the legal challenge after the Commission advised an employer th

Cleaver Fulton Rankin lawyer Jude Copeland is to take a leading role in work to help guide Northern Ireland solicitors through the evolving landscape of cybersecurity and data protection, with a particular focus on AI. Mr Copeland has been appointed as chair of the Law Society of Northern Ireland's

An expert in animal welfare law has been appointed to a new advisory group tasked with reviewing dog breeding regulations in Northern Ireland. Vanessa Barnes, a non-practising English solicitor, will join veterinary surgeon Susan Cunningham on the new group, chaired by animal behaviour and welfare e

Proposals to divert more "low-level offences", including motoring offences, away from the Northern Ireland courts have been put out for consultation. The Department of Justice is seeking views on whether the PSNI and PPS should be given additional powers to deal with a range of offences outside the

The prosecution and conviction of a nurse has highlighted a "major gap" in the legal and regulatory framework governing independent nursing practice in Northern Ireland, her lawyer has said. Nichola Hawes, a registered nurse independent prescriber, was fined £8,000 in Downpatrick Crown Court y

A joint statement from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has raised concerns over the UK government's welfare reform plans. The two commissions are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons

Belfast firm Phoenix Law and a legal adviser with the Children's Law Centre in Northern Ireland were among winners at the 2025 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards in London. The Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG) in England and Wales organises the annual awards ceremony, now in its 23rd yea

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has refused Hazel Stewart leave to appeal her life sentence for the murders of Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell by carbon monoxide poisoning in 1991. Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal in June, Lady Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan remarked: “We r

Northern Ireland firm Mills Selig has announced a new charity partnership with Women's Aid Federation NI.

Legal proceedings have been issued against Disney in connection with a TV series which depicts the 1972 murder of Jean McConville. Belfast firm Phoenix Law is acting for prominent Irish republican Marian McGlinchey (née Price) in her defamation case over her Say Nothing, a historical drama re

Hannah Al-Qaryooti has joined Public Interest Litigation Support (PILS) as the non-profit’s legal support manager. An Oxford University law graduate, Ms Al-Qaryooti had previously worked with Safer Renting, a London-based tenants’ rights advocacy service, as a caseworker and team leader.

Northern Ireland firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin has welcomed three new team members, including senior solicitor Clodagh Rafferty and solicitor Kaitlyn Berryman. Ms Rafferty has joined the firm's private client team, while Ms Berryman has joined the dispute resolution team following the completion of her