Opinion

KOD Lyons partner Matthew de Courcy looks back at divorce in early Irish law. The Brehon laws were the legal system of Ireland for over a thousand years, dating back as early as the 1st century AD and continuing in various forms until the 17th century, when they were superseded by English common law

William Fry lawyers Rachel Hayes, Leo Moore and Aoife Keenan explain the key features of the EU's Digital Identity Wallet. The Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, which establishes the European Digital Identity Framework (EUDI Regulation), came into force in May 2024 and will take legal effect across the Eur

Nina M. Hart makes the case for Ireland taking a stronger approach to the enforcement of EU sanctions. Ireland has long maintained a framework for implementing the European Union’s economic sanctions, or restrictive measures, but not prioritised enforcing them.

Carson McDowell solicitor Sophie Hunter reviews a recent English court ruling with significance for developers of major infrastructure projects. In R (on the application of Associated Petroleum Terminals (Immingham) Ltd and Humber Oil Terminals Trustee Ltd) v Secretary of State for Transport [2025]

Dr Barry Scannell of William Fry notes the world's first legislation regulating so-called "AI companions". In the 2013 film Her, a lonely man falls in love with an AI. What once seemed like speculative fiction has edged uncomfortably close to reality.

Scottish lawyer Ronnie Clancy KC analyses the collapse of a prosecution in England brought against two men accused of spying for China. The recently abandoned case against two individuals who were due to stand trial on charges of spying for China is by no means the first prosecution to hit the buffe

Dr Liam O'Driscoll highlights the need for EU-wide reform following a CJEU ruling on an Irish case concerning the compensation of victims of crime for pain and suffering. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), on 2 October 2025, issued a judgment concerning the scope of Member States&rsq

UK withdrawal from the ECHR would tear up the legal underpinning of the Good Friday Agreement, writes former British civil servant and diplomat George Fergusson. The Conservatives’ formal support for withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) leaves both our right-of-centre

Dr Eoin O'Dell reminds Senator Michael McDowell, following his rebuke of social media platforms for online defamation, that he still has an opportunity to do something about it. Last week, in his column in The Irish Times, Michael McDowell took social media platforms to task for shirking their respo

Brónagh Maher of Matheson considers the EU-US ESG regulatory debate and the implications for EU competitiveness. The pace of change with regard to attitudes, laws and regulations on climate change matters in the 10 years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 has been head-spinning

Professor Kevin Brown of Queen's University Belfast weighs up competing proposals for reform of sentencing in Northern Ireland. Before the summer recess, MLAs debated a motion on improving sentencing practice that called for a public consultation on creating a Sentencing Council.

Tom O'Malley SC appeals for brevity in Irish court judgments. The Great Gatsby is one of my favourite novels and I have recently read it for (probably) the third time. What makes it great is not just the story it tells and the way in which Scott Fitzgerald uses that story to expose the emptiness and

RDJ LLP partner Jennifer Cashman warns Irish businesses of the legal risks associated with reversing course on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI). From progress to pullbacks, US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equality and inclusion programmes is being felt internationall

Mason Hayes & Curran lawyers Gerard Kelly and John Milligan review an IP dispute between competitor radio stations in the High Court. The Irish High Court has recently granted an interim injunction against Bauer Audio Ireland. The injunction restrains Bauer Audio Ireland from using the brand nam

McCann FitzGerald partner Shane Fahy and knowledge lawyer Laura Farrell review a proposed ban on upward-only rent reviews in England and Wales. The UK has introduced a bill which will see a ban on upward-only rent review clauses in new commercial leases in England and Wales.