Opinion

Roman Shortall highlights the constitutional difficulties with proposals to move some judicial reviews to the Circuit Court. Does the Constitution permit judicial review to be vested in a court of local and limited jurisdiction that lacks competence to determine the validity of laws?

Professor Kieran McEvoy rubbishes claims of a "witch hunt" against former British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland. In recent months, there has been a renewed push by British army veterans and their supporters for a return to some variant of the Boris Johnson-era amnesty and for drawing a lin

Browne Jacobson lawyer William Darmody welcomes proposals for a new pan-European company structure. The 'EU Inc' proposal is the long-awaited 'Delaware moment' for Europe, finally providing Irish and EU founders with a streamlined vehicle to challenge the structural dominance of the US market.

Professor Kevin J. Brown of Queen's University Belfast examines the detail of proposed new sentencing law in Northern Ireland. The recent introduction of the Criminal Justice (Sentencing, etc.) Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly marks the most significant legislative change in sentencing policy s

Pádraig Langsch sets out proposals to improve efficiency in the District Court without sacrificing fairness. In my last opinion published on 26 February in Irish Legal News, I commented on the minister for justice’s proposal to introduce a flat‑fee system in District Court criminal le

Pádraig Langsch outlines the flaws in the government's proposal for criminal legal aid reform in the District Court. The minister for justice’s proposed reform of criminal legal aid in the District Court risks causing serious and lasting damage to the administration of justice, particul

Council of Europe secretary-general Alain Berset reflects on the situation in Ukraine ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion tomorrow. Tomorrow, 24 February, marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Strikes on homes, schools, hospitals, and energy infras

William Fry partners Jason Milne and Michelle Martin examine a Supreme Court ruling which clarifies planning bodies' climate duties and limits the decisive impact of s.15 on individual development decisions. The Supreme Court in the Coolglass case upheld the High Court's decision to quash the r

Mahbooba Faiz, an Afghan-born lawyer based in Ireland, uncovers the detail of the Taliban's new diktat on criminal procedure. After nearly four years of legislative opacity and rule by decree, on 4 January 2026, the Taliban issued a new legal document in Pashto language titled the “Criminal Pr

Karyn Harty, Lesley Caplin and Aaron McCarthy of Dentons consider whether EU law permits member states to ban social media for under-16s. Australia's ban on under-16s using major social media services came into force in December. Hot on the heels of this news, President Macron announced that France

McCann FitzGerald lawyers Mary Brassil, Donal Hamilton, David McCauley, Eleanor Cunningham and Catherine Austin review upcoming changes to mandatory retirement ages. Employers with employees who have contractual retirement ages of 65 or lower should be aware that new legislation will restrict the ci

Erika Guevara Rosas of Amnesty International responds to the Trump administration’s announcement that the US is withdrawing from 66 international organisations, conventions, and treaties. This is a vindictive and reckless assault on the legitimacy and integrity of the United Nations and the ru

Lynda Nyhan, partner and head of the employment team at Taylor Wessing, makes predictions for employment law in 2026. 2025 has been a notable year for employment law in Ireland, with steady progress towards greater workplace flexibility and employee wellbeing.

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

McCann FitzGerald partner Marie-Alice Cleary warns retailers not to fall foul of pricing laws as Black Friday approaches. A trader announcing a price reduction must indicate in the announcement the prior price of the product.