Opinion

Bill Holohan SC considers the take-up of mediation by solicitors since landmark legislation was introduced more than four years ago. The Mediation Act 2017 commenced on 1 January 2018. Court rules for the District Court, Circuit Court and the High Court were introduced very shortly thereafter. In Ja

Jason O'Sullivan, principal and founder of J.O.S Solicitors, urges the government to take action in the wake of scrutiny of RTÉ's employment practices. The national broadcaster Raidió Teilfís Éireann (RTÉ) continues to face ongoing scrutiny and criticism of its wel

Ray Lambe, partner at OSM Partners LLP, dismisses the notion that lawyers are opposed to court reform. In a recent editorial, The Irish Times called for reform of the Irish court system and curiously linked the slow pace of reform to “entrenched opposition” within the legal profession.

Dr Conor McCormick of Queen's University Belfast examines recent developments concerning the office of Attorney General and its equivalents. This month marks the publication of my book on The Constitutional Legitimacy of Law Officers in the United Kingdom, which contains a detailed analysis of the f

Dr Phil Anderson, consultant in child, adolescent and forensic psychiatry, makes the case for an increase in Northern Ireland's minimum age of criminal responsibility. The minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) is the lowest age at which a child is deemed to have the capacity to commit a crim

Kevin Bell BL examines the future of the gig economy in Ireland. The significant judgment of the High Court in Karshan v. Revenue Commissioners has been overturned by the Court of Appeal. The ruling has granted companies in the Irish gig economy significant leeway, in that delivery drivers will cont

Teachers, like councillors, exercise what little power they have to what little ends they can. While few school pupils nowadays will actively be stopped from using the bathroom when nature calls, many of us have felt the disfavour of a teacher when attempting to do so. Perhaps the law should assist

None of us expect to be harmed as a patient in healthcare, yet, in Ireland, as many as 1 in 8 patients suffer harm while using using healthcare services. Johan Verbruggen addresses queries he has received about the Patient Safety (Notifiable Patient Safety Incidents) Bill 2019, which is currently be

Barrister Paul Marshall details why the UK government’s failure to reform the rules around computer evidence means the Post Office Horizon scandal could be the tip of a miscarriages of justice iceberg. James Cartlidge MP’s statement on behalf of the government – “We have no p

Matthew Howse, partner at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, considers the impact of the Electronic Communications Code on landowners in Northern Ireland. Despite significant reforms and changes in 2017, the Electronic Communications Code is set to be amended once more when the Product Security and Te

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan considers the need for new legislation to address the gig economy. By structuring a contract in a particular way, a business can avoid giving an employee any employment law rights.

In an open letter first published by The Irish Times and included below in full, experts from seven universities and 13 NGOs in Ireland oppose the government's plans to use facial recognition technology for policing. The Minister for Justice plans to expand Garda surveillance powers with policing fa

Dr Vicky Conway calls on the government to take urgent action to secure the rights of criminal suspects. The shocking treatment of Joanne Hayes and her family by gardaí was back in the spotlight this week, with allegations of garda brutality, forced confession and fabricated statements laid b

Keith Doyle, senior associate at BHSM LLP, examines an accelerating trend in the commercial real estate sector towards taking wellness seriously. Awareness of health and wellness, in society at large and in our places of business, has reached an all-time high. Even before Covid-19, the world of busi

Ronan Dunne, partner at Philip Lee, considers what the exit of Ireland's last remaining overseas retail banks means for competition in Irish banking. The competitive landscape of the Irish retail banking market is set to change dramatically in 2022. The impending departures of both Ulster Bank and K