LATEST NEWS & ARTICLES
Bereaved family have fresh questions over baby deaths - bbc.co.uk (27/01/2012)
The family of a baby who died from a bacterial infection in Londonderry have said there are still questions to be answered about his death.
Created: 27/01/2012
Cost-cutting Government ignores needs of injury victims - apil.org.uk (22/12/2011)
Injured people in Northern Ireland are being ignored in favour of a regime of ‘cheap justice’, says a UK-wide campaign group.
Created: 09/01/2012
Lord Tebbit in fight to save legal aid for children's medical cases - guardian.co.uk (19/12/2011)
Former MP for Chingford joined by ex-social security minister Lord Newton in drafting amendment to cost-cutting bill
Created: 20/12/2011
Legislation due on asbestos-related pleural plaques - bbc.co.uk (05/12/2011)
People suffering from the asbestos-related lung condition pleural plaques will be able to seek compensation from next week due to new legislation.
Created: 05/12/2011
Elderly home care failures breach human rights, report finds - guardian.co.uk (23/11/2011)
Equality and Human Rights Commission says elderly people face unchecked 'ageism' from council-funded home care.
Created: 23/11/2011
Report warns older people may not be able to meet their future care costs - bbc.co.uk (21/11/2011)
A new report has said older people may face substantial costs for their care in the future that they will not be able to meet.
Created: 21/11/2011
Lawyers call for couples law reform - independent.co.uk (09/11/2011)
Lawyers called today for new legislation on "co-habiting couples" after the UK's highest court ruled that a man who left his partner nearly 20 years ago was not entitled to half the value of the house they shared.
Created: 14/11/2011
Golfer wins damages over eye 'explosion' - bbc.co.uk (04/11/2011)
A golfer who lost an eye after he was hit by a wayward ball has won almost £400,000 in damages.
Created: 09/11/2011
Concern over rise in Northern Ireland farm deaths - bbc.co.uk (02/11/2011)
The Northern Ireland Health and Safety Executive (HSENI) has expressed concern about a rise in the number of deaths on farms in the last year.
Created: 09/11/2011
Scrap unfair dismissal claims for lazy workers - report - bbc.co.uk (26/10/2011)
Unproductive workers should lose their right to claim unfair dismissal, a leaked government report says.
Created: 26/10/2011
More children and partners likely to be cross-examined in court by alleged assailants, Manifesto for Family Justice claims.
Created: 25/10/2011
Supreme Court backs asbestos compensation law - bbc.co.uk (12/10/2011)
The UK Supreme Court has backed the right of people in Scotland to claim damages for the asbestos-related condition pleural plaques.
One of our Partners, Mr Martin Hanna, said:-
“The UK Supreme Court has said “…the Court should respect the judgment of the elected body [the Scottish Parliament] as to what is in the public interest unless that judgment is manifestly without reasonable foundation.” This is a truly momentous day indeed for asbestos victims in Scotland and for the Scottish Parliament. Like in Scotland, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed The Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) Bill. This Bill also seeks to re-establish the right for Northern Ireland victims of asbestos related pleural plaques to pursue compensation claims. The Northern Ireland Bill has been put on hold pending the outcome of the UK Supreme Court decision. Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court should now pave the way for victims of pleural plaques in both Scotland and Northern Ireland to be properly and adequately compensated for this terrible condition. Hopefully a Commencement Order enabling the legislation to become law will be enacted quickly in both Scotland and Northern Ireland to enable cases, which have been put on hold for far too long, to be finally determined. Francis Hanna & Company will do everything we can on behalf of victims of all asbestos conditions to ensure they are properly compensated and we will continue to lobby the Minister and The Northern Ireland Assembly about when this legislation will finally become law.”
Created: 12/10/2011
Marks & Spencer fined £1m over asbestos risk - bbc.co.uk (27/09/2011)
Marks & Spencer has been fined £1m for failing to protect customers, staff and workers from potential exposure to asbestos.
Created: 04/10/2011
APIL issues access to justice warning for NI - postonline.co.uk (23/09/2011) (Subscription required)
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers has warned that victims of injury in Northern Ireland are at risk of being denied full and proper access to justice after a report recommended restrictions should be made to civil legal cases.
APIL spoke out after the Northern Ireland Executive launched a consultation on recommendations to cut legal aid for most personal injury cases and introduce a restricted ‘no-win, no-fee’ system.
Martin Hanna, a Belfast-based lawyer who sits on APIL’s executive committee, said: "Victims of needless injury, whose lives have been shattered, should have the same access to justice as anyone else.
"If legal aid is cut and a restricted ‘no-win, no-fee’ system introduced, some victims of injury whose cases are complex will find it difficult to bring a valid claim. How can that ever be considered fair by a just and moral society?
"The ‘no-win, no-fee’ system which has been recommended by the Access to Justice Review group involves an injured person paying some legal fees out of his damages."
Hanna added: "People don’t choose to be injured, but when negligence happens, the guilty party must surely be held fully to account. Damages are calculated to compensate a victim for his pain and suffering. It flies in the face of the principles of justice for an injured person to pay legal costs out of his damages.
"Instead of potentially restricting access to justice, what Northern Ireland needs is a fair system which provides all victims with the opportunity to pursue the full compensation which they deserve."
Created: 28/09/2011
Conservative MP piloting legal aid cuts may profit from the changes - guardian.co.uk (16/09/2011)
Jonathan Djanogly's role as insurance firm partner means he could personally profit from bill he is pushing through parliament.
Created: 20/09/2011
Increase in misconduct of those working in NI social care - bbc.co.uk (31/08/2011)
An increasing number of people working in social care in Northern Ireland have been found guilty of misconduct, the BBC has learned.
Created: 31/08/2011
Addenbrooke's and Andrew Lansley sued over 'do not resuscitate' rule - guardian.co.uk (26/08/2011)
Cambridge hospital and Department of Health accused of acting unlawfully by husband of woman who died
Created: 30/08/2011
Claire Edgar - Why Make A Will? - NI4Kids (Summer 2011)
Regrettably most of us are worth more on death, than alive. The common old excuse "sure I have nothing to leave" is rarely, if ever, true!
Created: 24/08/2011
Minister considers new vulnerable adult care plan - bbc.co.uk (17/08/11)
The health minister is looking into creating new policy to ensure the protection of vulnerable adults in care.
Created: 23/08/11
NHS introduces clearer thinking on dementia - guardian.co.uk (17/08/11)
Cross-party support for England's national dementia strategy is leading to more research, training and 'dementia cafes' for patients and carers.
Created: 23/08/11
Care worker suspended for failing to medicate patient - bbc.co.uk (10/08/11)
A care worker who failed to give a patient medication and then tried to hide her mistake has been suspended from the register in Northern Ireland.
Created: 10/08/11
Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) - the charity which promotes patient safety and supports people affected by medical accidents - is proposing a practical and pragmatic way of introducing a legal Duty of Candour about harm caused in healthcare. (A legal requirement to practice being open and honest with patients or their next of kin when harm is caused).
Created: 10/08/11
Compulsory mediation urged in disputes over vulnerable people's wills - irishtimes.com (24/06/11)
Mediation should be mandatory in cases of disputed wills where there are concerns about the vulnerability of the person who made the will, according to the president of the Law Society.
Created: 10/08/11
Baby P case judicial review application fails, leaving sacked children's services chief in line for £500,000 compensation
Created: 10/08/11
Court rules New Look manager 'provoked' into resigning - bbc.co.uk (27/06/11)
Bosses at high street retailer New Look "manipulated" a store manager into resigning on her return from maternity leave, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Created: 30/06/2011
Liberty director says justice secretary's £350m budget cut leaves only footballers and criminal defendants able to get legal advice
Created: 23/06/2011
Miskelly Brothers Ltd fined over Norman McCord death - bbc.co.uk (10/06/2011)
A health and safety consultant has been fined over a breach of health and safety law for the first time in NI.
Created: 14/06/2011
Protesters hold day of action against legal aid cuts - guardian.co.uk (03/06/2011)
Opponents fear impact on women trying to leave violent partners
Created: 06/06/2011
800,000 'not given help with social care' - bbc.co.uk (30/05/2011)
Hundreds of thousands of older people in England who need social care are not getting any support from the state or private sector, campaigners say.
Created: 31/05/2011
Laura Ashley employee awarded £9k for discrimination - bbc.co.uk (26/05/2011)
An NI Laura Ashley employee has been awarded nearly £10,000 after she was discriminated against on the grounds of her sex.
Created: 26/05/2011
Regulator raises elderly care concerns - bbc.co.uk (26 May 2011)
Serious concerns have been raised by the NHS care regulator about the way some hospitals in England look after elderly patients.
Created: 26/05/2011
Couples in civil partnerships should have the same pension rights as married couples according to the European Court of Justice, backing the approach already taken in the UK.
Created: 23/05/2011
Surrey facelift woman awarded £6m damages - bbc.co.uk (23 May 2011)
A woman has won more than £6m in damages against a plastic surgeon who she said "played God" with her life.
Created: 23/05/2011
Unions attack plans to reform employment laws - guardian.co.uk (11 May 2011)
Ministers claim reforms will make it easier for businesses to grow but unions say change will 'reward bad employers who disadvantage women and ethnic minority workers'
Created: 19/05/2011
Cohabiting: know your rights - guardian.co.uk (4 May 2011)
How to protect yourself financially in case you and your partner split up
Created: 09/05/2011
Court to rule on unmarried couples' property rights - BBC News (4 May 2011)
The Supreme Court is hearing a case which may have a dramatic effect on the property rights of unmarried couples in England and Wales who split up.
Created: 09/05/2011
Employment law changes would shift balance in bosses' favour - guardian.co.uk (3 May 2011)
New plans mean staff would have to work extra year before they could claim unfair dismissal against employer
Created: 09/05/2011
Northern Ireland Pleural Plaque Update (No Link)
The Attorney General for Northern Ireland has referred the Damages (Asbestos-Related Conditions) Bill to the Supreme Court who, we understand, is likely to hear the matter towards the end of June 2011. This means that it looks unlikely that there will be clarity about this Bill for some time to come. We will post any updates regarding this development on our website as and when they happen.
Further information can be found at the Attorney General's website here.
Created: 19/04/2011
Time for some joined-up thinking on domestic violence - guardian.co.uk (15 April 2011)
Proposed changes to legal aid and immigration rules are at odds with the government's action plan on domestic violence and could put more women at risk
Created: 19/04/2011
Victory for Scottish pleural plaques sufferers (No Link)
An attempt by a group of insurers to overturn the Damages (asbestos-related conditions) (Scotland) Act has failed.
The Court of Session rejected an appeal this week by Axa, Aviva, RSA and Zurich, which have been trying to overturn the 2009 Act which allows pleural plaques sufferers north of the border to make claims for compensation.
The court ruled that people with pleural plaques suffer "heightened levels of considerable anxiety" and that the "legislature has resolved that anxiety may constitute a matter worthy of monetary compensation".
One of our Partners, Mr Martin Hanna said:-
“Hopefully these insurers will conclude, following this appeal, that to attempt to challenge the The Damages (Asbestos related-conditions) Bill becoming law in Northern Ireland would be a further waste of time and money. Only time will tell whether or not this will Bill will eventually become law, but we at Francis Hanna & Company will do everything we can on behalf of victims of all asbestos conditions to ensure they are properly compensated.”
Created: 18/04/2011
Recognition but still no rights for grandparents - guardian.co.uk (11 April 2011)
Family justice review proposes grandparents should be included in contact agreements when relationships break down.
Created: 15/04/2011
Removal of experts immunity to prosecution (No Link) via AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents)
The Supreme Court has recommended that experts’ immunity from suit for breach of duty should be abolished. Judgment can be found here and the press summary of the judgment can be found here.
Created: 15/04/2011
Proposals for reform of Legal Aid (No Link) via AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents)
The Parliamentary Justice Committee has published its response to the proposals for the reform of Legal Aid, today. Regrettably the report makes very little reference to the removal of Legal Aid for clinical negligence claims. The full text from the Justice Committee can be obtained here.
Created: 15/04/2011
Daughter wins fight to overturn mother's will - guardian.co.uk (31 March 2011)
Heather Ilott went to appeal court after mother bequeathed £460,000 to animal charities – leaving her with nothing.
Created: 15/04/2011
Male solicitor suffered sex discrimination - guardian.co.uk (6 April 2011)
John de Belin, 45, was made redundant instead of a female colleague who was on maternity leaves, tribunal says.
Created: 15/04/2011
Northern Ireland Pleural Plaques Bill passed (No Link)
The Damages (Asbestos related-conditions) Bill passed its final stage in the Northern Ireland Assembly last week, and is now awaiting Royal Assent.
The Bill overturns the decision made in Johnston v NEI International Combustion Ltd by the House of Lords in 2007, and gives people suffering from pleural plaques in Northern Ireland a means to pursue a claim for damages.
One of our Partners, Mr Martin Hanna, said:-
"This is a truly great day for asbestos victims in Northern Ireland and for The Northern Ireland Assembly. However this is not the end of the matter. I fully expect that the insurance industry, as they have done in Scotland, to challenge the Bill in the courts at every stage and at all costs to try and prevent this piece of legislation becoming law. We at Francis Hanna & Company will do everything we can to help victims of pleural plaques re-establish their right to pursue claims for pleural plaques."
Created: 01/04/2011
Hepatitis C compensation boost - Belfast Telegraph (24 March 2011)
Northern Ireland people who contracted hepatitis C from contaminated blood through the NHS will receive extra compensation.
Created 01/04/2011
What does dignity mean in a legal context? - guardian.co.uk (24 March 2011)
The UK can learn from Europe by enshrining dignity as a fundamental part of – rather than adjunct to – our human rights
Created 01/04/2011
The Law Society's decision to back an application by its regulatory arm to oversee alternative business structures applications is a significant step
Created 01/04/2011
Claire Edgar - Grandparents Contact - NI4Kids (March 2011)
Children often idolise their grandparents; they get a little bit spoiled by them; they may experience a little more freedom than mum or dad might give them; and they might even regard them as an extra set of parents.
Created: 01/04/2011
Two former beauty therapists are seeking over £500,000 compensation from Virgin Atlantic, after they said they were plagued by chronic muscular pain while working at the airline's Heathrow Club House lounge.
Created: 17/03/2011
British lawyer uses Facebook to serve court summons - The Telegraph
A lawyer has used Facebook to serve a court summons, in what is believed to be the first such case in Britain.
Created: 17/03/2011
NI damages Bill escapes delay (No Link)
Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly have rejected a motion to extend the committee stage of the Damages (Asbestos-Related Conditions) Bill. Any extension of the committee stage could have endangered the Bill's chances of being passed, due to the restricted Assembly timetable ahead of elections in May.
Created: 28/02/2011
Carer ate food meant for patient with Alzheimer's - BBC News (January 2011)
Northern Ireland's South-Eastern Health Trust has apologised after a care assistant admitted abusing a 70-year-old woman with Alzheimer's Disease.
Created: 16/02/2011
Claire Edgar - Divorce Proceedings - NI4Kids (October 2010)
It is an unfortunate statistic that one in four marriages in Northern Ireland ends in divorce. So what is the procedure which leads to the dissolution of marriage?
Created: 16/02/2011
Gerry Daly - Redundancy Process: Be aware of the pitfalls - Belfast Telegraph (March 2010)
Redundancy advice for employers.
Created: 16/02/2011