Opinion

Ruth A FitzGerald SC considers the application of international humanitarian law to the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. The question being considered here is as to the way fighting is being conducted between Israel and Hamas, i.e., the law of war, and not the question of the legality of w

Peter McKenna explains the significance of this year's Law Society Council elections — the first with electronic voting in place. The Law Society Council election is held every year in which 15—16 ordinary members, and two provincial delegates, are elected to serve for a two-year period.

On 8 September, Mr Justice Mark Heslin committed Enoch Burke to prison for his failure to comply with a court order restraining him from trespassing at Wilson’s Hospital School. Although Mr Burke had been ordered to stay away from his former place of work since September 2022, a permanent inj

Eversheds Sutherland partner Audrey Elliott writes on the role of immigration in growing Northern Ireland's economy. Talented people are central to the economic growth of nations, but with skill shortages biting hard immigration has become an essential part of recruitment for businesses across the U

Oisín McLoughlin, corporate partner at Ogier Leman, outlines current trends in Ireland's M&A market. Given the size of Ireland's population, the pipeline of M&A opportunities in the country remains strong. With the summer months acting as a time of preparation for investors, the senti

Felim Ó Maolmhána reflects on the law and practice of drawing constituency boundaries as Ireland's new Electoral Commission prepares to present its recommendations. The political anoraks among us love nothing more than an election — any election, absolutely anywhere. Those of us

Dr Kevin Wozniak and Dr Ian Marder sound a note of caution on calls to step up policing of Dublin city centre. Commentators regularly lament the state of the Dublin city centre’s North side. Most recently, after a series of violent incidents and media reports, Morning Ireland wrote up its segm

As S.I. 391/1998 - Rules of the Superior Courts (No 6) Disclosure of Reports and Statements approaches its 25th birthday. The decision of the Court of Appeal in O’Flynn v Health Service Executive [2022][i] of Mr Justice Noonan provided a detailed overview of the case law since its introduction

The highly anticipated, first of its kind Representative Actions for The Protection of the Collective Interests of Consumers Act 2023 was signed into law by the President on 11 July 20231. The Act marks a significant development in Irish consumer protection law and is particularly notable due to the

In the competitive legal landscape, marketing is a necessity. However, unlike other industries, legal marketing is a delicate dance, with ethical and regulatory considerations playing a pivotal role. So, how can law firms market themselves effectively while staying within the bounds of professional

The Family Courts Bill represents long-awaited progress to reform Ireland’s family courts system in the public interest. Since this was first promoted by the Law Reform Commission in the 1970s, families have faced long delays, courthouses not fit for purpose, and unequal access to ancillary se

William Fry consultant Deirdre O'Donovan and partner Paul Convery look at the enhanced CEA and its involvement in tackling white-collar crime over the last year. With effect from 7 July 2022, the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) was formally established as an independent statutory body under th

Despite plans for an EU withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty, a failure to deal with its sunset clause will continue to threaten action on the climate emergency, argues Eoin Jackson. On 7th July 2023, the European Commission announced its intention to facilitate a co-ordinated withdrawal of the

Professor Donncha O’Connell and Dr Alan Greene explain their decision to dissent from the majority on the independent review of the laws underpinning the operation of the Special Criminal Court. Political supporters of the Special Criminal Court stoutly heralded the recent acquittal of Gerard

Morgiane Noel explores the ethical issues arising from the use of artificial intelligence in the criminal justice system. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become such a part of our daily lives that it’s hard to avoid — even if we might not recognise it. While ChatGPT and the use of algor