legal

The tension between Politics and the Law…

Jay Burbank on September 17, 2020, 7:46 am

| Readers 925

In modern society there is a tension between democracy and the law which has always existed throughout history. Democracy at its most absolute is tyrannical, brutish and often short lived because of the mass hysteria which can engulf otherwise rational people when they act as a group. Psychologists called this ‘groupthink’ in the 20th century, ever since we found this flaw we quickly discovered that it had actually given us our most valuable skill putting us at the top of …

Why Northern Ireland still needs a Bill of Rights…

Soapbox on October 28, 2019, 11:57 am

| Readers 2720

Dr Anne Smith and Professor Colin Harvey A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland remains part of the unfinished work of the Belfast Agreement/Good Friday Agreement (the B/GFA). It is still needed, and its absence is felt in the mess that this society is currently in. Reflecting the B/GFA’s mandate, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) launched the Bill of Rights process on 1 March 2000, and submitted its advice on 10 December 2008. The advice includes recommendations which …

The right to a fair trial can be in danger if individuals go to court without legal representation

Soapbox on September 26, 2018, 11:56 am

| Readers 950

The disadvantages faced by individuals who go to court without a lawyer can jeopardise their right to a fair trial. This is the finding of a two-year Nuffield Foundation study by Ulster University on ‘litigants in person’ in the civil and family courts in Northern Ireland, which examined the experiences of individuals who represented themselves in court. There has been considerable concern over the rise in the number of litigants in person across the UK, although this research shows that …

Abortion clinic opens in Belfast…

Belfast Gonzo on October 11, 2012, 3:49 am

| Readers 83

NORTHERN Ireland is to get its first abortion clinic next week. In one of the biggest stories of our generation – and one which will unite hardline Protestants and Catholics – it’s reported that Marie Stopes will open for business in Belfast next Thursday, with the help of former PUP leader Dawn Purvis. The organisation says it will operate within the framework of the law here, but that will do little to assuage the anger of opponents, who will see …

Last supergrass trial was, um, actually just four years ago…

Belfast Gonzo on September 6, 2011, 1:29 pm

| Readers 36

JUST watching the BBC and it’s constantly reporting that today marks the start of the “first ‘supergrass’ trial in Belfast for 25 years”. It’s not. No-one seems to remember that just four years ago, this happened – and it wasn’t exactly a roaring success. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com